Flies!

Thank you for the responses...but I didn't seem to get my questions answered:
1) Will common houseflies lay eggs on the rabbits, and is there any threats from these worms?
2) So only a specific fly can give rabbits maggots?
3) Can the rabbits eat Catnip? MaggieJ, do you feed your rabbits it, if so how often?

Easy Ears, I can only help you with Question #3.

Catnip is not toxic to rabbits but most dislike it intensely. It should not be fed to pregnant or nursing does because (like mint and sage and other members of that family of plants) it could make the doe's milk supply dry up.

If you have a doe that has lost her kits and you have reason to believe she is headed towards developing mastitis, then those same plants can be useful as medicinals.

Easy Ears":1lf8dtjv said:

Thank you for the responses...but I didn't seem to get my questions answered:
1) Will common houseflies lay eggs on the rabbits, and is there any threats from these worms?
2) So only a specific fly can give rabbits maggots?
3) Can the rabbits eat Catnip? MaggieJ, do you feed your rabbits it, if so how often?

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1) Common houseflies will lay eggs in dead or decaying flesh, rotting fruit, etc. a healthy rabbit will not have an issue with flies unless the area is totally infested.

2) No. Any insect whose young (maggots) need protein to thrive can pose a problem to any animal with a purulent discharge or open wound.

3) what MaggieJ says!

Flies will infect wounds and excessively dirty animals (not just normal mud dirt of animals that live on the ground). Only bot flies generally pose a problem to clean, healthy animals.

Catnip should be safe in all quantities they are willing to eat if they are used to that much fresh greens with the warning that mint family plants can reduce milk production. Catnip falls under the catmints, which are mint family plants that produce the compound that affects cats but not all equally. Mints can eventually be toxic from certain compounds they all have but it's very hard to get an animal that has other food choices to eat that much of even the worse offenders.

I had a doe that was so overweight (when I got her) that she couldn't clean herself well enough. It took me too long to realize there was an issue. I tried cleaning her up, but it was nasty. I noticed her wide eyed and twitching with flies flying around her... I looked closer and found her vent full of maggots . By far the nastiest thing I have ever dealt with when it comes to rabbits. I culled her right then and there - I know there might have been a chance to clean her up and maybe nurse her back to health (pretty sure she had an infection in the vent area as well), but you could tell she was just miserable and I didn't have a clue what to do for her to help ease that pain.

heritage":1ddj95id said:

I had a doe that was so overweight (when I got her) that she couldn't clean herself well enough. It took me too long to realize there was an issue. I tried cleaning her up, but it was nasty. I noticed her wide eyed and twitching with flies flying around her... I looked closer and found her vent full of maggots . By far the nastiest thing I have ever dealt with when it comes to rabbits. I culled her right then and there - I know there might have been a chance to clean her up and maybe nurse her back to health (pretty sure she had an infection in the vent area as well), but you could tell she was just miserable and I didn't have a clue what to do for her to help ease that pain.

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Proof positive that permitting an animal to become obese is cruelty! Thank You for that example.

Frosted Rabbits":wo41h1e7 said:

heritage":wo41h1e7 said:

I had a doe that was so overweight (when I got her) that she couldn't clean herself well enough. It took me too long to realize there was an issue. I tried cleaning her up, but it was nasty. I noticed her wide eyed and twitching with flies flying around her... I looked closer and found her vent full of maggots . By far the nastiest thing I have ever dealt with when it comes to rabbits. I culled her right then and there - I know there might have been a chance to clean her up and maybe nurse her back to health (pretty sure she had an infection in the vent area as well), but you could tell she was just miserable and I didn't have a clue what to do for her to help ease that pain.

Click to expand...

Proof positive that permitting an animal to become obese is cruelty! Thank You for that example.

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When the lady I got her from asked how they were doing I hesitated, but told her the truth. She apologized repeatedly, and said she had no idea. I can see that being the case because the flies weren't out when I got her, but over the course of the two weeks that I had her things had warmed up. It didn't take long for there to be a major issue.

Are the products sold at feed stores to horse people pretty effective against flies?

I've tried all kinds of natural stuff. This place was a fly magnet before the bunnies. for my own sanity I switched to chemical measures for insects, as chickens in the bunny barn is not an option.


I've used the metered sprayer, though it bothers my lungs so none this year.
I like the livestock dusting powder in the trays but was afraid it made my manure no longer pesticide free/organic?
I use the bronco horse spray on the dogs, and now I'm using that to spray in the barn.

I like golden malrin , just don,t let be where pets or kids can eat it...

Yes, I'm resurrecting an old, dead post because it fits so well with a post I was just about to make... since there's already a post with such great information in it, I thought I would simply add my own here.

We had an issue with fly management last year (and mosquitos!!) so this year I purchased some praying mantis eggs from Planet Natural and it said on the website "Note: Unless you can find a small newborn, it is difficult to tell if the egg cases actually hatched."

... well guys. I'm pretty sure they hatched. Look how cute!!! Little baby mantises!



Only one egg case appears to have hatched (so far?) but certainly have quite a few in there! This should help this season with keeping the flies and mosquitos down a little, especially with how mild this summer has been. We live in a neighborhood in the city and I found a TICK on my dog yesterday. We're going to have a bug filled spring I can tell....

I'll try and remember to let everyone know how well my little baby deadly prayers end up working out. To keep the egg case safe from birds and other predators I actually put them inside a cage that was not being used and latched it shut. So they can get out but no birds can get in.

Very cool! I used to have a bit of a phobia about spiders and preying mantises, but since moving here in 2001 I have managed to get rid of it. They really are neat creatures.

Catnip is excellent to repel flies and mosquitoes too. It's perennial and very easy to grow.

I was reading what you wrote about catnip earlier in the thread and had already thought about trying to grow it in the back corner by the compost pile, lol.

I tried to find somewhere to purchase spider eggs for pest control but came up very short. Apparently there isn't a market for it, go figure! :lol: Personally I have always liked spiders but mantises will have to do. Also, I'm sure my neighbors would be happier about me hatching more mantises than they would be about me hatching more spiders....

... well guys. I'm pretty sure they hatched. Look how cute!!! Little baby mantises!

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Thanks! Just ordered some for my garden area!

As a kid, we had one of these hatch on top of the refrigerator. Mom didn't notice it ~~ then, one day, all I heard and saw was screaming and a vacuum handle flying around LOL

jeannie":1km5vi7z said:

... well guys. I'm pretty sure they hatched. Look how cute!!! Little baby mantises!

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Thanks! Just ordered some for my garden area!

As a kid, we had one of these hatch on top of the refrigerator. Mom didn't notice it ~~ then, one day, all I heard and saw was screaming and a vacuum handle flying around LOL

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These guys almost hatched inside! I got them in the mail a little while ago and after checking to see what was in that box I left it on my desk due to possible freezing temps outside. Then I promptly forgot why that little box was sitting on my desk until a few days ago. "Ah! Okay, it doesn't look like any have hatched yet so lets put these outside..."

I kid you not, the very next day one of them hatched out. :shock: I got lucky there!

I would have never thought to get praying mantises - fun! I heard of someone bringing a cocoon in thinking it was for a butterfly - the mesh container they were in didn't contain them :lol: :x . Might be a good home school science project... outdoors .

We didn't get much of a reprieve from them this year - we still had a couple making their way into the house well into October and I think even November (if my memory serves me correctly I was cursing them just before Thanksgiving... just a lone one or two in the house that would show up at bedtime to annoy us :evil: ). And they were back out in February thanks to the ridiculously early warm temps. Thankfully we have had a couple more cold nights to push them back a little longer - sad for the crops though.

I also got guineas this year - hopefully they will help as well. If not for the flies, then at least for the ticks.

Those hanging bag traps work really really well. I was shocked how many ours got in a short amount of time. I forgot to refill the water though... live and learn for this year. Thanks for the reminder that I need to order some more. I put one back by the rabbit area and one by the chickens. I might get a couple more for around the perimeter of the house (not too close though - peeeyew!). Going to search out some good catnip as well. I tried sprigs of rosemary last year, not too sure it did much to help though. I also get the horse spray and use it on the wood of the hutches. Now... to combat mosquitoes. With all the stuff they are spreading, it scares me how many we have in the yard (DH's gpa's property doubles as a dumping ground for himself and the cousins so lots of things laying around to catch water - ugh.

Try fly predators. I googled on fly predator, this is a link as an example - I've never purchased from this vendor. My sisters have horses and they use fly predator around the barn.

I let my chickens into the rabbit area to clean up.

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=d0a27815-d36b-47e4-9ec2-fd92c7fa4802&sfb=1&itemguid=1f21d5aa-cd86-4a05-8c99-9ae1b7c2500f&utm_content=31478&ccd=IFM003&CAWELAID=120295250000106283&CATARGETID=120295250000169840&cadevice=c&gclid=CPS65YaCmtMCFYw6gQodu4kDoA