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Flies in the bunny shed again :(

chloemurray

chloemurray

Warren Veteran
I just don't know what to do about it.

Every day I go outside and I'm greeted by a swarm of flies in the bunny shed. I clean out litter trays every day, there's citronella gel thingies in there... still the flies keep coming. I've just been and cleaned out the trays again and disinfected everything, and still they won't go away. They seem to congregate around Cupcake and Pud, which is terrifying as Cupcake has been ill for a long time and I'm worried they're attracted to her. From what I can see though, her bum is always clean.

I was gonna put some citronella oil on the newspaper in the litter trays but then someone told me citronella is toxic to bunnies, so that's a no no. Mum got me a fly killer thing to put in the shed, but I'm so worried about it being poisonous to the buns that I've left it in there with the door wide open, which is only letting more flies in :lol:

I'm going on holiday for a week and I'm terrified that I'll come home to find that the bunnies got flystrike; I know full well that no one will clean them out whilst I'm away, they'll chuck fresh hay and food in, and top up their water, and that'll be it :(
 
chloemurray said:
I just don't know what to do about it.

Every day I go outside and I'm greeted by a swarm of flies in the bunny shed. I clean out litter trays every day, there's citronella gel thingies in there... still the flies keep coming. I've just been and cleaned out the trays again and disinfected everything, and still they won't go away. They seem to congregate around Cupcake and Pud, which is terrifying as Cupcake has been ill for a long time and I'm worried they're attracted to her. From what I can see though, her bum is always clean.

I was gonna put some citronella oil on the newspaper in the litter trays but then someone told me citronella is toxic to bunnies, so that's a no no. Mum got me a fly killer thing to put in the shed, but I'm so worried about it being poisonous to the buns that I've left it in there with the door wide open, which is only letting more flies in :lol:

I'm going on holiday for a week and I'm terrified that I'll come home to find that the bunnies got flystrike; I know full well that no one will clean them out whilst I'm away, they'll chuck fresh hay and food in, and top up their water, and that'll be it :(
Click to expand...

What a worry :(

Have you tried the citronella spray? I spray the newspaper underneath the litter trays the put megazorb and hay on top - have done for years and the buns don't care.

I've got a fly zapper thing which is electronic - could you put one of those up? I can lend you mine if you want as I don't use it.

Other thing is those sticky papers, but I always got my hair stuck in them and one day after like the 5th time of getting my hair stuck threw them all away in a fit of fly paper rage :lol:

Can you not ask your family to change the trays at all? I wouldn't leave the trays unchanged for a week in this weather :(
 
I put citronella oil on bits of material and hang them from the ceiling so they are well out of the way of bunnies, and this keeps them away. I also use a thin layer of wood pellet cat litter instead of newspaper in the bottom of trays under the hay, I find it absorbs the smell completely. If you've got mains power you could use an electric fly killer on the ceiling too.
 
Flies I am afraid are attracted to certain things. If you are sure everything is squeaky clean and you still have flies then some bun is ill. I had a fly an hour ago flying around Lewis and when I had a good look he had an uneaten caecal. So I removed it and the fly disappeared.

2 years ago flies kept coming into the shed and I knew everything had been cleaned. One of the GPs had an abscess brewing. So the flies let me know if something is not right.
 
Lavender is supposed to keep them away and basil leaves, what about hanging some of those bags you get for wardrobes & drawers? You could hang a couple inside near the door & it might help with the citronella. Or dried basil leaves in bags around the door :)
 
All mine are house buns, and cleaned regularly with daily bum checks but I am still getting flies indoors. I mentioned this to my sister and she has an increase of flies (she doesn't have house buns or piggies, just a cat & a dog) so we assumed it was just the time of year.

I tried an electric bug zapper when I had ex batts in my shed a few years ago ...didn't work at all on flies as it uses the florescent light which tends to attract mozzies & moths at night.

What I did find that really worked was a product called "Fly be gone" or "flies be gone" which is a foul smelling powder that is mixed with water in a container or trap. I used old milk cartons and used hot metal skewers to make fly sized holes. It does reek, so it needs to be hung far enough away from buns shed to not attract the flies to the buns, but close enough so that it attracts the flies away from the buns shed. Then slowly moving it away. when it started to fill up with dead flies, I would then seal it with gaffa tape and dispose.

I wouls also suggest using the rear-guard before you go away, if you know no-one will check their bottoms daily.
 
I've put fly netting over the windows of Petes hutch and I still get flies in :( however I've just got some citronella oil and I've dripped some on an old thick baby sock and pinned it to his hutch and touch wood no more flies!!!

I tried some fly paper, attaching if to along the bottom of the outside of his hutch but in his enthusiasm to being fed ( :roll:) he nearly fell out of the Hutch and got some of his fur caught on the paper. I was really annoyed with myself as its not the first time he's launched himself out and I should have known there was a risk he could get stuck. He was fine though but I decided to just give the citronella a go!
 
Forgot to mention that all the buns have been rear-guarded, and I do have fly paper up which catches a lot of them. Yes tonibun it's Cupcake that's ill, she's a snuffle bun and has been quite bad lately, bless her.

Fly mesh is an option, will try and get hold of some. I think if I really stress the importance of it, my dad might do the litter trays. I really doubt it though and it's stressing me out.
 
I've got fly/mosquito nets over my windows, and a couple of flies have still got in :( I dread to think how many would if it wasn't there they're getting in because it keeps detaching from the velcro :roll:
 
Can you not get someone to clean them out while you're away? I would not leave a litter tray unchanged for a week ever let alone in this weather :(
 
Ive got fly netting up on the window and another across the door. I prop the shed door open during the day so the net is the full width of the door frame but ive had to leave an 18" gap at the bottom so the bunnies can run in and out without the temptation to chew the net.

Ive got the sticky fly tape things hung really high on the shed roof and then fastened down the side of the shed so hopefully they are secure and out of reach.

Today I am going to put some more netting up on the aviary bit to try and stop a few more flies. My aviary is open 12 hours a day when I am in so they are free range so I cant protect them 100% but I can give it my best shot.
 
Have you tried lavender? Since putting too large pots of it outside the playroom (where the bunnies live) they have definitely reduced! I've also sown some seeds ready for next year too :)
 
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