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Bugs will be a Problem… This is just some “food for thought” before using Insecticides around your birds… herbal repellants are to be used at your own risk when spraying, because some of you might find that your allergic to some of the Herbs & Oils and I only use them after I clean the coop and keep the birds out of the area at least for an hour or more before letting them enter the coop…And do not spray Essential Oils on or around the Birds It may be toxic to them…! or just imagine you getting a face full of Peppermint or Garlic in your face or eyes…? and some Essential Oils are meant to be applied on the skin and have over perfumes in the mix but Many natural herbal mixes and Oils are safe to be used around pets and people, Peppermint, bay leaves, cloves, citrus & lemon oil, lavender, rosemary, tobacco, tobacco stems for nesting, peppercorns, eucalyptus, can repel various types of insects like Ants, aphids, black flies, whiteflies, greenflies, fleas, lice, mosquitoes, moths, many spiders, nematodes, lice, rodents and ticks… You can also grow many of the following plants in Pots around the Coop, Basil, Bay leaves, lemongrass, Garlic, Spearmint or pepper mint, marigolds and chrisanthemums are all good natural insect repellents. You can also Sprinkle black pepper and Powdered red chili pepper around the out side of the coop to prevent ants, beetles, silverfish, roaches, and moths. I also use Food Grade diatomaceous earth Powder all round the inside of the loft…
This is what I use after I clean the Coop
2 cups water, 4 Drops of peppermint oil and 8 drops of Garlic oil with a teaspoon of Dawn or Ivory dish soap shake spray bottle well then use all around the inside of the Coop, boxes, cracks, floors and under perches…
I get the oils from the food spice section at walmart and I also add Aloe Vera 99.9 pure from Walgreens and I add ½ cup to a gallon of water once a week right after I feed them. It was a old recipe my Grandmother told me when I was young to help a bird I had with Canker and she told me it would help keep the Mosquitos from biting the birds, it works…!
Please understand that I’m no expert and I don’t wanna be the cause of your birds getting sick or dieing, I have never used some of the herbs and oils mention above and you should read up and experiment to see what works for you…
Louie
　
　

Interesting and informative information, Louie!

Many Thanks!

Also understand that food grade Diatomaceous earth is great to deter roaches!

Is that an Oragami pigeon as your Avatar?? NEAT!!

Shi and MR. Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/WoeBeGone/Rae Charles

There is an earwig explosion in my neighborhood this past month, . I guess it's the temperature/humidity combo that creates ideal breeding conditions.
They are everywhere in the loft, every crack and crevice but more disturbingly, when I change out the nest boxes they are under the bedding material. GROSS!!
I shake out Diatomaceous earth and that seems to control them.

I have to find out what those things eat or bite ! I sure hope egg, squab or big bird isn't on their menu

Thanks for the welcome Desertfire, Yeah its an "Origami" found it on the Internet... I allways used "Diatomaceous Earth" ...Thanks
Louie

Desert Fire wrote:Interesting and informative information, Louie!

Many Thanks!

Also understand that food grade Diatomaceous earth is great to deter roaches!

Is that an Oragami pigeon as your Avatar?? NEAT!!

Shi and MR. Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/WoeBeGone/Rae Charles

Hello Maniac, I dont know what type of nesting materials you use, but have you ever tried Tobacco stems or Pine needles?... That will deter many bugs from hanging round the nest box and young!... This is what I do when I start breeding... First I start by breeding all my birds all on the same time I seperate Cocks & Hens for 2 to 3 weeks, then place them together and ad my nesting materials and nesting bowls, Now I wait for all the young to start hatching, which will be days apart!... Then about 10 days after I remove all nest bowls and ALL nesting Materials and clean the nest box's and coop... I clean the clay nest bowls w/bleach and replace the paper bowl w/new bowls... and repeat after aweek...thats why I try my best to breed all my birds at the same time so I can have a systematic approach on how and when I clean the coop and remove ALL nesting materials, with all the young growing in size equally, just days apart!... after the young are eating on there own, I once again start the same process for round two!... This should keep the bugs down abit... it seems to work for me...! I know you will get other Ideas and methods from other breeders that are just as good, just use what works for you because diff areas in the Country and bugs problems call for other ways to approach on the methods you use!
I hope the Info was useful....Louie

maniac wrote:There is an earwig explosion in my neighborhood this past month, . I guess it's the temperature/humidity combo that creates ideal breeding conditions.
They are everywhere in the loft, every crack and crevice but more disturbingly, when I change out the nest boxes they are under the bedding material. GROSS!!
I shake out Diatomaceous earth and that seems to control them.

I have to find out what those things eat or bite ! I sure hope egg, squab or big bird isn't on their menu