Fly control
Fly Control with FlyStrings
By Linda Campbell
Jul 2, 2003, 1:54pm

Fly control at Khimaira Farm http://khimairafarm.com/flystring.htm   An effective fly control developed in Sweden.  Our version has over 1200 feet of 1/4" sticky nylon tape that rolls out quickly and easily.  Safe, clean and inexpensive in the long run.  Make your animals more comfortable this fly season. It really works!  This is the "original" flystring that has been imitated by others now on the market.  This nylon string will not break (others did in our comparison testing), and the rolls contain over 1200 feet (not 500-1000 like some other models).  So compare carefully!

As you roll up the dead flies, new, clean tape is rolled out...all easily and quickly!   In the picture above, the new reel is on the left, and the dead flies are being rolled onto the reel on the right. This picture was taken of a reel mounted on the ceiling of our kidbarn.  This unit was installed over 7 years ago!  We've replaced the rolls several times, but this is still the original hardware, and the unit has had no other maintenance.  Since the flies quickly die and then dry, there are no smells (unlike those stinky traps!). 

One unit can last from 1-5 years, depending upon fly density.  The nylon string is not affected by cold, so it can stay up year-round.  When first installed, thousands of breeding flies will be trapped, so subsequent fly production is dramatically decreased.   This unit is widely popular in dairies,  kennels, and stables!   It can be installed on the walls or ceilings (preferred method).   Reels (one full, one empty take-up reel), ceiling hooks (to use to guide the tape), mounting bracket, and pullies (for making the u-turn at the end) are all included in the complete system package.  The manufacturer suggests not exceeding 80 feet, and most of ours run approximately that distance.  In smaller areas, you simply install them the length of the building, for best coverage.  In selecting sites, look for fly concentration sites such as feeding areas.

When we originally tested this product before offering it to our customers, we were concerned that birds may be caught on the strong adhesive of the strings.  With our extensive use in 5 different barns, this has never happened!  (It had happened previously when we used those wide sticky paper products!)

In past years, we tried many products for fly control.  With animal numbers sometimes exceeding 500, flies can become a problem!  The old fly paper was inexpensive, but short-lived and a real nuisance if you accidentally walked into it.   The traps were sometimes effective...if you could stand the smell (not great PR for a goat dairy!). 

We like to use Integrated Pest Management, and the parasitic wasps can be effective in some situations, and can be used in addition to the flystrings.  However, one caveat...cleaning the barn can remove them! Cleaning up the old bedding (which helps significantly in fly control) also removes the parasites.  Sprays and poisonous baits are possible solutions, but we like to avoid using these potentially hazardous materials, and the cost can be significant over  time.  For our operation, and for our many customers, this flystring has been the best solution to reducing and eliminating those pesky, disease-carrying critters!