Keeping flies down while butchering

[ollitos]

OMG the flies have been HORRIBLE!!! We have a zillion fly strips up but they are nothing compared to the hoards of flies we have dealt with today.

We butcher inside our garage with the garage door open. Adding a window AC and keeping the door closed is not an option any time soon.

How do you keep the flies down?? I'll take any and all tips!

 

[Dood]

When at the cottage we use a screen tent to process game and when camping we use a large mosquito tent hung from a tree.

The mosquito tent is fast, cheap and light but the screen tent doesn't drift with the wind, since your in a garage a breeze isn't likely to blow the mesh into the carcass.

 

[Jack]

don't do it when they are active.... (night)
high power ventilation fans and screens, you can buy it pretty cheap by the yard at wally world as mesh/veil cloth.

 

[MaggieJ]

A strong fan or two should do the trick. If you have catnip growing, try hanging up a bundle or two, bruising it well to release the scent. It really works well to repel both flies and mosquitoes.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

Our flies are bad too...and we have biting flies this year. I'll have to try the catnip.

 

[MaggieJ]

We get those small biting flies that hang out around our ankles when we are sitting outside. I smush up catnip and rub it on. Works great!

 

[DitchDoc]

Neat ideas, both the catnip and the mesh tent. Will have to incorporate those ASAP

 

[MaggieJ]

If you are buying catnip plants or seed, make sure you are getting Cataria nepeta (good, old-fashioned catnip) rather than the more decorative and pleasant-smelling Nepeta x faassenii (pretty blue flowers and a more delicate leaf). Both are great plants, but it is the Cataria nepeta that has the insect-repelling, cat-attracting properties you are looking for.

 

[a7736100]

Why not just take the dead rabbits into the kitchen and finish processing in the sink or on the kitchen table? Had a friend who did everything in the laundry room using the sink there and placing the waste in a regular metal wash tub. The rabbits were killed and bled in the sink. Cleaned and skinned. Washed and bagged.

 

[Jack]

Bathtubs work great too, but then so does cardboard and a garden hose

 

[moonkitten]

Try something like this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/double-garage-door-screen-68310.html

I had two made for my garage and they did an excellent job at keeping flies out.

 

[MaggieJ]

Moonkitten! So very nice to see you back at RabbitTalk! :bouncy:

 

[GBov]

I kill my rabbits three at a time and bring them into the kitchen. Waste goes into a bucket, meat into a pan and organs into a bowl. Hides into freezer bags if they are nice ones.

It works a treat for me, no flies and in the air conditioning as well.

Have you put DE under your cages? It takes about 10 days or so but you will see a drastic reduction of flies if you do.

 

[mystang89]

Get an electric fly swatter. You may not be able to keep the flys down but when they hit that thing they won't be getting back up *begin maniacal laugh* Mhahahahahahah :twisted:

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I kill my rabbits three at a time and bring them into the kitchen. Waste goes into a bucket, meat into a pan and organs into a bowl. Hides into freezer bags if they are nice ones.

I do the same thing. Usually a friend and I do the killing, beheading, skinning, and removal of the feet, and our daughters do the gutting, rinsing, quartering, and bagging in the kitchen.

I still like the idea of the mosquito net, though. The occasional fly or wasp will land on the carcass while I am processing, and I could do without that!

Have you put DE under your cages?

Ollitos tractors her rabbits, moving them every couple of days, so there isn't a lot of buildup in any one place.

However, DE works great. Olli, you might try putting DE on your cattle and in your chicken coop/run. We have a grey mare that gets attacked by the cattle flies- they congregate on her back and belly- and the DE really helps.

I use this to apply it:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ISCG7M/ref ... B002ISCG7M

Get an electric fly swatter. You may not be able to keep the flys down but when they hit that thing they won't be getting back up *begin maniacal laugh* Mhahahahahahah :twisted:

:lol: We have one of those. This year we have these stupid flies that congregate in huge swarms and fly in circles incessantly. They have decided they like our front porch... and they like the house even more, and dart in when we enter or exit through that door. :angry: We killed so many one day that the house smelled like electrocuted flies.