Homemade fly spray

[vickie]

I am looking for a homemade fly spray to spray the cow stall. I make one for spraying on the cows. I need one for the fly control in the barn. Anyone have a good one. Thanks Vickie

[wildhorse]

Mix Ivory dish liquid water and vinegar and if you have any you can add Skin so soft.

[RoyalValley]

Mind if I ask what your recipe is for the one to put on cows, Vickie? Thanks.

[vickie]

i use the same as wildhorse except i use dawn dish soap. It does not work on the stall floor and the straw beds. I need something to kill them or run them off. So the cow can rest in the straw. anybody out there have something good. Thanks Vickie

[Mrs. Homesteader]

We make our own homemade spray for spraying on the cow as well. I don't think it would do much long term in the barn though. I am not sure what you could spray in the barn that would stay. Here are some other ideas:

Do you ever get fly predators?

I have also heard that keeping the manure mucked up really helps. We need to work harder on that area.

You can get those fly strips and put up.

Use empty 2 liter coke bottles. You poke a hole in the side in the upper half. Make sure the plastic pieces go inward. Put something like a small piece of meat in the bottom and then fill part way with water. Keep the lid on the top. Hang them up. The meat starts to go bad and it attracts the flies. They go in the hole in the side and have a hard time finding their way back out. They eventually fall and drown.

A local small eating place near us did something I never heard of, but there are virtually NO flies when you eat outside there. All around the edge of their eating deck, they hung up zip lock bags of water with a penny in them. They don't fill them quite all the way. They poke a hold through and hang them on a nail. It has something to do with the way the flies see the penny. It looks like some sort of predator to them. They stay away. I have thought of trying this one.

[linn]

I use a combination of lemongrass, lavender and citronella essential oils in vinegar with several drops of dish detergent. I have also sometimes, added neem seed oil to the mixture.

[greenhorn]

Someone recently posted on a homeschool board about the bag full of water hanging up. They didn't mention putting a penny in, but i can only imagine it adds to the "fly freak out" effect! I'm going to try this tomorrow as the flies in the barn are completely without discretion as to whom they bite (namely ME!)

[vickie]

My brothers does this around his patio, it works great. but he puts them up before fly season. no flys in his patio but thay are on the outside. I have lots of flys inside the barn. If i put them up now i can keep new out but i need to get rid of the ones inside. I NEED a spray that will not hurt the animals. HELP please Vickie