Flies, flies, and more flies...

[I LuV MaH BuNs]

My dad said he posted this but I can find it... We have recently started housing flies. OH JOY!! Anyway, my dad(JimD) said that he came downstairs this morning to thumping of feet. He walked into the room and all the bunnies ears when up, they stood upright and their eyes were wide. All of a sudden, MooShu started elegantly hopping around her cage and thumping. She would hop over her box into it through the window and do it all over again. All of a sudden all the rabbits started doing it. He calmed them all down and then he saw it.. A FLY!! The bunnies started going nuts again, the dog Reya, came in to help get the fly. Of course seeing a 47 year old bald man jumping around the room swating at a fly didn't help the bunnies much... Why were they freaking out so bad??





-Danielle

 

[SLRabbits]

Lol. My grandparents have a black lab that is scared of flies. xD

~Nichole

 

[Carolyn]

Greetings ILMB,

Flies are not to be taken lightly with rabbits.

If a rabbit has a wound or a dirty bum, they become vulnerable to a flylaying eggs in that area. Maggots release toxins into the system andcause a quick death. It's extremely hard to cure Fly Strike.

A wildlife biologist friend of mine suggests a lot of fly strips, andif you have more than strips can handle, put up a netting to go aroundthe cages.

Your rabbits are right to get into a stir. Flies can cause a lot of problems for rabbits.

* * * * * *

Your father is a Good Man.

You're lucky you have someone as intelligent, compassionate, funny, and generous as he is be your father.

Enjoy and appreciate every minute you have with him. My father is in Heaven, and I miss him dearly.


-Carolyn

 

[JimD]

Thanks CarolynFor both thecompliments and the advice. I'm going out to pick up some WoodyPet thismorning and I'll be sure to pick up some flypaper or something similarthat is safe for the buns.

We will change all of the cages today and make sure the bunnybutts are okeedokee.

Jim

PS: watch for the next episode of "FlySlayer"

 

[Carolyn]

JimD,

My compliments are sincere.

My, Oh, My, it's a big day for the bunnies at your home. While mostpeople are going out looking for a tree and Christmas presents, OurVery Own, JimD, is going out to get WoodyPet and fly strips for hisbunnies.

The netting would be more for people who have rabbits that are outside. It's very cheap and effective.

As for using sprays and such, the friend of mine who suggested the flystrips thinks that people take a chance with chemical sprays because ofthe rabbit's sensitive systems. I know some breeders will use sprays,but I agree with my friend. Keep it as organic as you can get.

I never did like flies, but since I've had rabbits, if I see one in myplace, I'll destroy whatever it takes to kill it. The only good fly isa dead fly.

Go get 'em, Fly Slayer!!

-Carolyn

 

[m.e.]

Carolyn's advice is sound. We lost our secondrabbit, Nicholas Peter, to fly strike in less than 12 hours. That was 6years ago, I was 13, and I will never be able to forget what that waslike. I wouldn't wish it on anyone

 

[Carolyn]

m.e.,

I didn't realize you lost a rabbit to Fly Strike. I'm so sorry. It's ahorrible thing to witness for both the rabbit and the parent.

* * * * *

Pardon me, ILMBs and JimD, I forgot you celebrate Chanukah, not Christmas. I hope you're enjoying the holiday.

-Carolyn

 

[I LuV MaH BuNs]

Thanks Carolyn!! A merry one to all from Chippy!!

 

[Carolyn]

Oh, Danielle,

That little Chippy melts my heart whenever I see a picture.

Thank you so much for our Chipper Santa.

Do a Chanukah Chipper for me, please?



-Carolyn

 

[I LuV MaH BuNs]

YEY!!!!

 

[I LuV MaH BuNs]

yeyeaaa

 

[Carolyn]

Sweet!

-Carolyn

 

[bluebird]

I also use the fly strips, nasty gooey things, but i dont like sprays around my animals.bluebird

 

[JimD]

Hello everybody!!

Yesterday was quite a day for us. I picked up 6 bags of WoodyPet from adistributor about a half an hour away. We got home and my wife changedand cleaned all of the cages and tables in the bunnie room. Daniellemade sure all the bunnies were clean from head-to-tail. My daughters(Jessiica is the youger one) changed and cleaned all 8 hamster cages(they live in the bunnie room). After every little furry was set, I gotout the vacum and gave the whole room a twice-over.

We managed to kill all the flies (I think). We ran around all afternoonswatting away. Every now-and-then you'd hear...BAM!! "Got anotherone!". It was a lot more fun that using flystrips . If I notice anyflies today I'll go out and pick up some strips, but I think we gotthem all. I think we had about 15 or so. Not the green houseflies orbiting ones. They were black ones that I don't think I've seen toomuch. Maybe they or their eggs got carried in on something we bought.Reminded me of the Amityville Horror. It happened once before a fewyears ago, but we didn't have any animals at that time. Weird.

Jim

 

[2bunmom]

Wow Jim D, sounds like you and your family had aproductive busy day. We had an invasion of those big blackflies in the building thatI work in. It happened inthe spring and nowI have seen a few justlately.They just seem to appear out of nowhere!!! I am glad they you are on themission to get them out of your rabbit room and house for thatmatter. Don't you just love the Woody Pet? I havebeen using it for about a year now. Sure cuts down on thaturine smell!! I am so glad that we have friends onthe rabbit forum to share information with. HappyHolidays Beckie

 

[JimD]

***bumping because this was my first knowledge concerning flystrike***

......this is where it allstarted:

JimD wrote:

The strangest thing happenedtoday. I went to greet all my bunnies this morning as I usually do.Almost every morning they are still relaxing and lounging about. Thismorning all of them were acting like little maniacs. You wouldn'tbelive the racket they were making when I was headed down the stairs. Iliteraly ran into the bunnie room. They all stopped, sitting tall,biiiiiig eyed, breathing hard, and all ears straight up. Then Moo Shuthumped 4-5 times really fast and started running around her cage likecrazy and in an out of her bunnie hut. It would have been funny if ithadn't scared me so. Within seconds all of the buns were doing the samething. It took me 10-15 minutes to get them calm at least to the pointwhere they were standing still. Then I discovered the big problem...

A house fly. A stupid little house fly. Moo Shu was terrified.

And it certainly didn't help with me dashing around trying to destroythe nasty little bugger (the fly...not the bun). Then the dog startedto help me chase the fly and the buns started up again. 20 minuteslater the fly is dead and everyone else was exhuasted. Oats and rasinsfor da buns. Biscuts for da doggy. And a BIG cup of coffee for me.

What a morning :shock:

Jim...(the fly slayer)

 

[cirrustwi]

LMBO!! That's the beststory. I can just picture it. The dog, the buns,Jim D....what a sight that would have been to see. I hope youbroke out the vanilla.

Jen

 

[DaisyNBuster]

Thanks for Bumping Jim. What a story.Your poor sweet buns. Grrr I hate flies with a passion. I can justpicture yourunning round for 20 mins trying to get rid of thepesky thing.

I'm going to get some of that sticky fly thing. Also Buck said thatVanilla also acted like a repellent so I got some of that earlier and Iam about to change their water with a couple of drops of vanilla (willhelp withstinkysnowy too).

Vickie

 

[cirrustwi]

I have the sticky fly traps and use the vanilla, it really takes care of the flies. I don't have any trouble.

Jen

 

[JimD]

That was the weekend I started using Woody Pet.Once I started using Woody Pet, the odor problems no longer existed andthe flies that do get in are not attracted to the bunnie room. It'seven better now that all of the buns are litter trained.

I luuuuuuuv Woody Pet!