The first step...

Is admitting you have a problem. In our case, a problem with flies.

Our property is in the beginning throes of fly war. I first noticed them showing up about two weeks ago - biting flies, pest flies, horseflies, deerflies, every kind of fly you can imagine, coming in droves. It's getting to the point that a nice lunch outside, or a nap on the hammock, is becoming a major turf battle.

I can understand why this is happening, though. Between the kennel, the chicken coop, the (as-yet-unoccupied) barn, and the woods nearby, flies are bound to appear. Combine that with the not-so-sound property management that I struggled with over the winter and spring (namely, cleaning out wheelbarrows full of once-frozen shavings and straw from the kennel when it thawed), and we have quite the problem on our hands now. At least I've learned from my mistakes and won't be repeating the same methods in the kennel again this coming winter - and I now have a functional compost pile that greatly cuts down on lawn and chicken coop wastes.

Still, something needs to be done - I know that if I let them get established this year, next year they'd be even worse, no matter how I manage the property. So, enter Spalding Lab's Fly Predators. I've heard nothing but good about these guys from the horsewomen I know, not to mention on numerous online review sites and blogs. Basically, they are tiny, parasitic wasps that hatch on the property and attack flies and their larvae. They are almost too small to see, and don't sting - so it's almost like they're not even there. They can't survive the harsh winters here, either, so there is no chance of them becoming established in the environment.

My first shipment of these guys should be arriving by the end of next week. Here's hoping they can help me win the war against the flies before it even really starts...