"Buzz Off: Summer Fly Control Strategies for the Dairy Goat Barn"

Flies in the summer are the worst, especially around the barn, milk stand, and pens. Here's a layered approach that works well for reducing fly pressure on a dairy goat farm:

🧹 1. Cleanliness First

• Daily manure removal is key—especially from barns, bedding areas, and around the milk stand. Flies breed in manure and damp bedding.

• Deep-clean water buckets and milk stands often—flies are drawn to gunk and residues.

  
  
  
  

🪰 2. Fly Predators

• Release fly predators like Spalangia or Muscidifurax wasps every 3-4 weeks. They don’t bother animals or people, but they destroy fly pupae.

• Great for long-term reduction around loafing areas and compost.

🧴 3. Natural Repellents and Sprays

• Essential oil sprays using blends like eucalyptus, lavender, citronella, peppermint, and rosemary (mixed with water, vinegar, or witch hazel) work well for the milk stand and light misting on goats.

• You can also add Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to water troughs (1–2 tbsp per gallon) as an internal fly deterrent. Some claim it changes body scent enough to reduce attractiveness to flies.

  
  

🐐 4. Targeted Physical Barriers

• Fans in milk rooms or covered pens help keep flies off and mess with their flight patterns.

• Install sticky tapes or fly traps (milk jug traps with fish emulsion, molasses, or rotten fruit inside work great and cheap).

  
  

🧼 5. Bedding Management

• Keep bedding dry and fluffed. Sprinkle hydrated lime or DE (diatomaceous earth) underneath new straw layers to dry things out and kill larvae.

• Consider deep litter method only in dry climates or when turned frequently—otherwise it can become a fly nursery.

  
  

🧪 6. Chemical Backup (if needed)

• Occasionally use Permethrin spray on legs or back ends of goats (avoid udders), or around barn walls and entries. Rotate insecticides if using more than once a season to avoid resistance.

---

🧴 DIY Goat-Safe Fly Spray (Essential Oil Blend)

You can mist this on legs, backs, and around the face (avoid eyes/nose). Also great for spraying milk stands and barn doorways.

🧪 Ingredients:

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp Dawn dish soap (helps it stick)

• 10 drops each:

  • Lavender

  • Eucalyptus

  • Peppermint

  • Citronella

  • Tea Tree (optional—natural antiseptic, but strong)

🧭 Directions:

1. Mix in a spray bottle and shake well.

2. Always shake before each use.

3. Patch test first on sensitive goats.

   
   

🪤 DIY Barn Fly Trap (Jug Style)

This attracts flies like crazy and keeps them OUT of your barn.

🧪 Ingredients:

• 1 empty milk jug or large soda bottle

• 1 cup warm water

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 packet dry yeast (or a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar)

• Optional: add overripe banana peel or piece of raw meat for extra draw

🧭 Directions:

1. Cut a flap near the top of the jug (like a funnel, so they can fly in but not out).

2. Mix water, sugar, and yeast in the bottom. Let ferment.

3. Hang in hot spots near manure piles, barn doors, etc.

   
   

---

🐐 SUMMER FLY CONTROL BARN CHECKLIST

Let’s keep the herd happy and the flies out!

✅ Clean Pens Daily– Remove manure, wet bedding, and food scraps

✅ Refresh Water & Buckets– Scrub with vinegar weekly to prevent fly eggs

✅ Hang Fly Traps– Milk jugs, sticky tapes, or commercial bags in problem zones

✅ Spray Milk Stand– Use essential oil spray on stand legs and floor

✅ Mist Goats (As Needed)– Light spray on legs and backs—shake bottle first!

✅ Fly Predators (Every 3-4 Weeks)– Release in compost, bedding edges, and near loafing sheds

✅ Fans On in Barn & Milk Room– Disrupt fly movement and cool goats

✅ Sprinkle DE or Lime Under Bedding– Controls larvae and moisture buildup

✅ Check for Hot Spots– Walk the barn and sniff out fly breeding zones (warm + wet = flies)