gnats and mice

[bbomber]

Hi everyone, There are millions of gnats on the wall of the duck pen plus flying around. Any natural spray to make them go away? Also, I find mouse droppings in the duck food. I'm sure they eat it. Is this a problem? Thanks for your help.

[jrorer]

I wonder if it could be a botulism risk, but I just fed my ducklings some food which a lot of mice had gotten into and they survived it without any problmes.

[ritterhahn]

I disagree. Vermin carry all sorts of disease, and their urine and excrement contaminate food. The added moisture, moreover, leads to rot – not just the botulism you mention, but fungus (the spores of which are already in the food, most probably – and quite a few of the fungi are toxic to stock).

I think you have been lucky feeding contaminated feed to your animals, but I wouldn’t imagine such luck to last indefinitely.

Richard

[bbomber]

The food I'm talking about is in their food bowl. The stored food is fresh and clean. When I go to feed them I see mouse droppings in their food bowl that they are still eating out of.

[Patrick]

I agree with ritterhahn. By bbomer's logic, Russian Roulette is a harmless game, if you survive the first round.
All those of us who free feed probably have more of a problem with this than we realize or care to think about, but that still doesn't make it a safe or recommended practice. Changing the way you ask the question if you don't like the answer isn't going to change the basic facts of biology, nor the potential for disease transmission.

[Dondoyle26]

The food I'm talking about is in their food bowl. The stored food is fresh and clean. When I go to feed them I see mouse droppings in their food bowl that they are still eating out of.

maybe dont give them so much food. This will reduce the droppinsg which will reduce the risk of disease. I use fly strips around my ducks the large ones anyway. They have a covered pen and i just put them from the rafters. You can try mixing apple cyder vinegar and skin so soft and spraying on the walls this will help but you have to do it often. The gnats are ruthless right now they can stand flat foot and screw a turkey down here. As far as the mice go I would also try and get some rat poison or something out of the way of your ducks.

[jrorer]

Is there a lot of moisture around? Maybe that is where the gnats are coming from. They will breed and reproduce where there is dampness, old food, rotten fruit, etc.

[bbomber]

Since I put out the mouse poision away from the ducks, they (the mice) are dying. Found one floating in their water bowl last night. I've changed the type of feed bowl to a taller coffee can the mice can't reach as well and the ducks have no problem. I feed them less food and it was almost gone last night, soooo I definately have been feeding them too much.

Yes, there is moisture around to create gnats. One day they all disappeared! Hum.... Thanks for receipe to spray them. I will do that. And work on that moisture problem. You all have been very helpful and understanding. Patrick on the other hand ......this must of been way over his head. Kind of kidding Patrick. Thank-you for your reply also.