Hey Steve,
Didn't realize you were having this magnitude of problems. I wouldn't know how to advise you on this. I know my Dad always put 7 Dust and a tiny amount of Sulfur in his Gourds. I don't use sevin unless I can actually see bugs or parasites, and I never have used Sulfur.
If I did have a problem like yours I would use what ever was necessary and effective to eradicate the problem.
Hopefully I will never have to experience the likes.
Please let me know what happens and what you find to be the best antidote.!
Rodger
The Black Death Has Arrived
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Rodger Drye
- Posts: 671
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:07 am
- Location: NC/Mt. Pleasant
- Martin Colony History: Have been hosting and providing a sanactuary for Purple Martins for 30 years.
PMCA Member
Have been Hosting and Protecting Martin's for 30 years.
Have been Hosting and Protecting Martin's for 30 years.
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Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Just a short update on our black fly/gnat problem...
Well it appears that the flies/gnats are slowly "going away". The flies/gnats live about two to three weeks and we are probably at the end of the second week.
I am not seeing as many flies/gnats flying around me and few around the gourds/houses. So that is good news.
I did try vanilla extract on select gourds where I saw the flies/gnats going in and out of the entrances. I sprayed/wiped the vanilla extract all over the fronts of the gourds around entrances and even inside the tunnels of my Troyer gourds. It worked but may only work for a short time and then you have to re-apply it. And that is a problem if you have a big issue with the flies/gnats and you have hundreds of gourds!
The flies/gnats may be attracted to the carbon dioxide exhaled by the babies and perhaps the vanilla extract masks the carbon dioxide. I don't know if the vanilla extract actually is a repellant. But I must have some of the best smelling martin nests in Louisiana!
I didn't try any of the other products mentioned and they may last longer in keeping the flies/gnats away.
Sevin probably would have little impact on the flies/gnats because these pests fly in and out and don't crawl through the nesting material. Sevin works great on mites and I have used that before with great success.
Our fly/gnat problem looked terrible at first and since I have never been faced with it, I naturally was concerned. The flies/gnats can decimate all the nestlings in a martin colony if they are huge numbers of them and they are all over the housing. You can even see the blood engorged flies/gnats on the housing at times!
So far I haven't seen any dead nestlings that appear to have been killed by the flies/gnats. I saw no red welts or bite marks on any of the nestlings. But we still could have some losses as I am sure some of the nestlings were bitten and it may take longer for them to die.
Hopefully everyone is have a black fly/gnat free purple martin season!
Steve
Well it appears that the flies/gnats are slowly "going away". The flies/gnats live about two to three weeks and we are probably at the end of the second week.
I am not seeing as many flies/gnats flying around me and few around the gourds/houses. So that is good news.
I did try vanilla extract on select gourds where I saw the flies/gnats going in and out of the entrances. I sprayed/wiped the vanilla extract all over the fronts of the gourds around entrances and even inside the tunnels of my Troyer gourds. It worked but may only work for a short time and then you have to re-apply it. And that is a problem if you have a big issue with the flies/gnats and you have hundreds of gourds!
The flies/gnats may be attracted to the carbon dioxide exhaled by the babies and perhaps the vanilla extract masks the carbon dioxide. I don't know if the vanilla extract actually is a repellant. But I must have some of the best smelling martin nests in Louisiana!
I didn't try any of the other products mentioned and they may last longer in keeping the flies/gnats away.
Sevin probably would have little impact on the flies/gnats because these pests fly in and out and don't crawl through the nesting material. Sevin works great on mites and I have used that before with great success.
Our fly/gnat problem looked terrible at first and since I have never been faced with it, I naturally was concerned. The flies/gnats can decimate all the nestlings in a martin colony if they are huge numbers of them and they are all over the housing. You can even see the blood engorged flies/gnats on the housing at times!
So far I haven't seen any dead nestlings that appear to have been killed by the flies/gnats. I saw no red welts or bite marks on any of the nestlings. But we still could have some losses as I am sure some of the nestlings were bitten and it may take longer for them to die.
Hopefully everyone is have a black fly/gnat free purple martin season!
Steve
PMCA Member
300+ pairs of martins each season
300+ pairs of martins each season
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Rodger Drye
- Posts: 671
- Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:07 am
- Location: NC/Mt. Pleasant
- Martin Colony History: Have been hosting and providing a sanactuary for Purple Martins for 30 years.
Steve,
That is Great news to hear your Black Fly - Gnat problem may be coming to an end. Also glad to hear the Vanilla Extract helped in repelling the flies. I've never been faced with something like that and really was at a loss as to what to advise you.
Hope you don't lose any fledglings because of these flies. I will keep my fingers crossed!!
That bothers me that the baby birds would be suffering such treatment.! They were at the mercy of the flies. The flies could come and go, but the babies had to stay confined to the nests. They really couldn't get away if they wanted to.
This will be a good lesson for me too. I'm just sorry you and your birds had to be the one's to go through it.
The Vanilla Extract is that the same that you would use for cooking?
Yes I can see where you probably did have the best smelling Gourds in Lousiana.! LOL. You do what ya gotta do!!
Keep me posted on what happens. Good Luck!
Rodger
That is Great news to hear your Black Fly - Gnat problem may be coming to an end. Also glad to hear the Vanilla Extract helped in repelling the flies. I've never been faced with something like that and really was at a loss as to what to advise you.
Hope you don't lose any fledglings because of these flies. I will keep my fingers crossed!!
That bothers me that the baby birds would be suffering such treatment.! They were at the mercy of the flies. The flies could come and go, but the babies had to stay confined to the nests. They really couldn't get away if they wanted to.
This will be a good lesson for me too. I'm just sorry you and your birds had to be the one's to go through it.
The Vanilla Extract is that the same that you would use for cooking?
Yes I can see where you probably did have the best smelling Gourds in Lousiana.! LOL. You do what ya gotta do!!
Keep me posted on what happens. Good Luck!
Rodger
PMCA Member
Have been Hosting and Protecting Martin's for 30 years.
Have been Hosting and Protecting Martin's for 30 years.
-
Steve Kroenke
- Posts: 4342
- Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 6:49 pm
- Location: Louisiana/Logansport
Hey Rodger,
Yes, it is the vanilla extract used in cooking. It smells SO GOOD!
I ordered a big "jug" of vanilla extract from Amazon through the Amazonsmile program to help out the PMCA with a small donation. I would prefer using something like vanilla extract since it is not a "poison". You can spray it outside/inside of a nest cavity. I don't spray it on the nestlings and mainly just wipe around the entrance hole area, both outside and inside.
In your area, you may never have to worry about black flies/buffalo gnats. They seem to be more prevalent farther north and can reach plague levels.
I hope your martin colony is doing well.
Steve
Yes, it is the vanilla extract used in cooking. It smells SO GOOD!
I ordered a big "jug" of vanilla extract from Amazon through the Amazonsmile program to help out the PMCA with a small donation. I would prefer using something like vanilla extract since it is not a "poison". You can spray it outside/inside of a nest cavity. I don't spray it on the nestlings and mainly just wipe around the entrance hole area, both outside and inside.
In your area, you may never have to worry about black flies/buffalo gnats. They seem to be more prevalent farther north and can reach plague levels.
I hope your martin colony is doing well.
Steve
PMCA Member
300+ pairs of martins each season
300+ pairs of martins each season