Rice weevil mayhem.

[Messybun]

Okay, we’ve had an unseasonably warm winter so far and my usual small weevil problem is out of control. You can hear them humming as soon as the door is open.

I’m thinking of sulfur smoking them. Seeing as I’ve never burned sulfur what are your safety tips?
My total plan is to remove the hay and sweep out what I can. Spread the bags out a little. Set a fire in an old cast iron pot on a stand. I’m thinking about a 1/4 cup of sulfur should smoke the entire thing? Close the door and let it burn out on its own. Leave it for two days at least before reopening the door.
It feels like this is a stupid idea in some way, so I wanted to run it by y’all first.

 

[Hardknockshomestead]

We made a pop door in the side of the coop that faced the goat pens and started letting the chickens out into the goat yard in the morning. So now, we have 2 enclosed, but separate areas for the chickens. We can rotate the chickens in these areas, kind of like pasture rotation, and let them scratch around in the goat yard and eat fly larvae to their hearts' content.

 

[tortoise]

We don't use chemicals here, either. I had barn flies tormenting my poor goats a few years back. They bite and it REALLY hurts. The flies, not the goats lol. We started turning in the chickens into the goat yard, and now there are way fewer biting flies.

I wish i could find a natural solution to the fly problem in my house, though. In summer, we always seem to have LOTS of flies inside. I hate flies

Biting flies don't land on zebra print. You can find zebra print sleeves, jackets, blankets, etc for goats, sheep and horses. I haven't seen a fly mask for goats, but they make them for cows and horses. I modified sheep tubes to fit my dogs! I wear a lot of zebra print in summer. I wear a zebra print scarf over my head and neck when I walk in summer to keep the biting flies off of me. They don't even circle my head when I wear it!

Pic from google/pinterest

Help Your Horse Get His Zebra On

Find out why your horse’s next flysheet should be zebra print.

horse-canada.com

 

[Hardknockshomestead]

Biting flies don't land on zebra print. You can find zebra print sleeves, jackets, blankets, etc for goats, sheep and horses. I haven't seen a fly mask for goats, but they make them for cows and horses. I modified sheep tubes to fit my dogs! I wear a lot of zebra print in summer. I wear a zebra print scarf over my head and neck when I walk in summer to keep the biting flies off of me. They don't even circle my head when I wear it!

Pic from google/pinterest

View attachment 17911

Help Your Horse Get His Zebra On

Find out why your horse’s next flysheet should be zebra print.

horse-canada.com

For real?!? I bought a zebra print bolt remnant many years ago on impulse but haven't known what on earth to do with it.
This is too funny. I will have to do something to try it.

 

[baymule]

I don’t know how to get rid of them. Try it. The worst that can happen is that they like the smoke and call in their friends.

 

[Medicine Woman]

Hmmmm. I like bio security. I don’t allow anyone to sweep the spider webs from my barn because they collect mosquitoes which don’t get to bite my chickens and get them sick. My first thought would be ,’what eats weevils that I can put up with?’ I have once intentionally infested my house with geckos to take care of a nasty problem I had when I accepted a piece of furniture from someone without thinking. And that might not be a bad idea. Of course I would probably be the one throwing in a few dozen chickens to hurry up and clean house. But maybe you can fumigate them.

 

[Hardknockshomestead]

We don't use chemicals here, either. I had barn flies tormenting my poor goats a few years back. They bite and it REALLY hurts. The flies, not the goats lol. We started turning in the chickens into the goat yard, and now there are way fewer biting flies.

I wish i could find a natural solution to the fly problem in my house, though. In summer, we always seem to have LOTS of flies inside. I hate flies.

 

[baymule]

The way a fly’s eyes work is distorted on zebra print so they can’t figure out how far away or where to land on the animal.

American flies must be stupid. On every TV African wildlife show I see, the zebras are switching their tails at the flies! LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

I’ve had snakes move in to take care of my mice in the feed shed and been very happy to leave them alone

Oh no....not here! They liked the eggs better, so not welcome. Several cats work here and do a superb job! That has also kept the snakes from coming around to check things out at all! It's worth the feed I buy for them.

I let my chickens free range and they dramatically reduce fly and worm issues. Plus, I run a fan on low in the goat shed....up high, angled to blow through and down the shed. Flies don't like the breeze, goats do. helps with the areas they hang out, reduces any mosquitos, too.

 

[Messybun]

We have our goats, ducks, chickens, and geese in the same pasture. The geese and goats have helped keep predators away and the birds help with bugs, especially mosquitoes. I only have two goats who really have struggled with worms.
As far as snakes in the feed area it was at a time I had over 13 big roosters in the yard. Nothing in the yard was easy prey, but the feed mice were. I don’t have enough room to do free ranged cats, anyway stray ones aren’t allowed to stay either, so not much help for me. But I know a lot of people love them!
For flies in the house, it’s not pretty but, fly paper does work well. As would a chameleon. But I’m not so sure a chameleon would be worth your time lol.