It’s the FlyFlySwat!
It’s starting to look like summer has arrived and with it… the flies.
An absolute fact of animal husbandry is that flies are attracted to animals, specifically to their poop! We do our best to keep the bunny berries to a minimum under the cages around here, but the reality is that as soon as the weather starts to warm up, we start to see unwelcome visitors in the air all around the rabbitry.
Last summer we used the fly-catcher gallons of water, 2 liter bottle tricks. We were able to get these at our local feed store and —based on the fact the bottles were filled with dead fly bodies — they work.
They also smell. Decomposing fly bodies is not my favorite scent in a season where we’re already battling so many other… succulent… scents.
So, while we will likely be hanging fly strips around and utilizing the stinky bottles as fly catchers, we decided to also plant mint around the bases of all of our hutches. I’m sincerely hoping this natural fly deterrent will cut down on the winged pests around here as well as release a pleasing scent as we walk by and brush it.
We chose to plant at the bases of the hutches because that also gives the mint access to the yummy nutrients the rabbit poop provides for soil. (Did you read about the benefits of using bunny berries in your garden? They’re phenomenal!) We’ll be able to water the plants as we water the rabbits, stir up the scent as we brush by, and hopefully! see less flies in the air.
Mint isn’t the only natural fly repellent and we’ll be planting these others (especially the basil!) around our backyard to see if we can get more traction on a fly-free environment!
Natural Fly Repellents:
- Basil
- Bay Leaf
- Cedar
- Citronella
- Citrus
- Cloves
- Cucumber Peelings
- Essential Oils
- Lavender
- Mint
- Oranges that have been Juiced and Salted
- Peppermint
- Pine
- Rosemary
- Sweet Woodruff
- Tansy
- Vanilla Air Fresheners
I also found this link helpful, as it breaks down the different types of pests and how you can combat them naturally: http://eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm
This article gives practical examples of how to use these herbs around your house as repellents: http://home.howstuffworks.com/green-living/herbs-deter-flies-naturally.htm
Mad Hatter Rabbits & MicroFarm 