Flies eating Beans

[JCripe]

Losing my crop of beans due to flies eating them . Any ideas other than Sevin? Tried this then it rained and next day they were back. Will moving margiolds into the beans help?

Desperate

JC

[JustTom]

Get a muscovy duck. They're reknowned fly catchers.

[JustTom]

I've not tried the parasites, seemed awfully expensive and others locally reported poor results, and the traps I've tried didn't really seem to work. So been on the lookout for the ducks to keep the population down and amuse me. Once I see how they do, I may even let them roam the garden and see if their rep for taking down bug while leaving plant alone is warrented.

I just scored a new flock: A drake + 2 girlfriends and 15 babies.

I bought some new cattle this week and the seller happened to also have Muscovys (Muscovie/muscovites,muscovay?). I've been looking for them for a while, so it was a happy accident.

I admit though that I'm a bit nervous to see how they treat my beehives. I pondered guineas for tick control but had to pass because of their rep of snacking on bees as they left the hive.

I'm told they taste like veal. I've never eaten veal, so for me, I guess they're right. We may find out immediately if they display a sweet tooth for honeybee ; )

[Omelet]

No kidding!!! I used to entertain myself watching the 'sovies catch flies! And once we had a MAJOR hatch of scarabs in the entire Austin/San Antonio area. It was a blast watching the muscovies go after the flying newborn beetles.

Fly parasites do work very, very well tho' in combination with drowning fly traps.

I've used both.

[Omelet]

Odd that. I found them to be inexpensive and gave me a good 3 years worth of fly reduction. Depends I guess on the environment. I had emu shit for them to rest in.

I used "Rescue Fly" brand. They stink and the worse they smell, the better they work. Just keep them filled with water to the fill line and HANG THEM WAY ABOVE HEAD LEVEL!!! I used iron crook hangers or tree limbs to hang them a good 8 to 10 ft. up so I did not have to smell them.

Damn they work well.

The plastic bag types.

When they got full, I carefully double trash bagged them. They stink to high heaven! You don't want to spill one.

Scobies (Muscovies) are not as destructive as the mallard type breeds. Google them. They are not really a "duck". Originating in south america, they are known as "perching ducks". They can breed with other types, but the offspring are sterile "mules".

Some ducks are almost as destructive to gardens as chickens.

Muscovie. :-) They are also the quietest breed. Known as "quackless ducks".

I still have my last remaining drake, and he's about 15 years old now. He lives with my one pet emu in the back yard. His name is "Arnold".

Fence off the bee hives! QED.

Oh, Muscovie is the best eating. Main thing is the size for the work. If you go to butcher a duck, add a small amount of dish soap to the scalding water.

Otherwise they take about 3 hours to pluck.

Trust me.

Been there, done that.

[JustTom]

Are we talking about the parastic wasps here?

The place I looked at, if I ordered the recommended amount even with my limited amount of animals was still several hundred bucks initially, and I believe $50 or $60 more each month.

I don't know which brand I had, but they came from TSC, had a tube of lure that didn't smell particularly pleasant, and a plastic trap entrance that fit on a gallon milk jug. You're supposed to fill container half full with water, squeeze tube of gunk in it, and hang 'em where the livestock hang out. I kid you not, didn't catch one fly with the two I hung, one over a water trough, and one over the pig's sleeping quarters. I even double baited after no action. Still no joy.

Of course, it may also be different kinds of flies.

I'll have to see if I can find that brand.

Yep, some of those characteristics are why I chose them. I'm curious to see the claw that lets them perch, and to hear their "nonquack".

A shame about those caruncles though. Kind of like your jiggly stock, makes you want to go eewww.

Why Muscovy of course.

They're hidden in a wood thicket, and a fur piece from the pasture they'll cal home, but I'll have to keep an eye on their range and investigative powers.

I have a chicken plucker passed on from my FIL that I haven't picked up yet. Wonder if that would work.

[Omelet]

I think so.

Hah! BS. They reproduce.

Hope it helps. I trapped _thousands_ of flies with these and you don't have to mess with a milk jug. These are self-contained and disposable.

And cheap.

Iirc, I paid around $3.00 each.

You get used to it. They are very charming ducks and the Caruncles on the females are not as pronounced.

Sorry!

Chicken wire them. Please. Chicken wire is cheap.

Don't you still need to scald?