Ferals & Flys

I have a small colony that I have been sheltering and feeding for approximately 2-years. Twice a day, rain--shine--snow--sleet, I feed them a mix of dry & wet food with fresh water.

I have made a feeder out of a rubbermaid container to shelter their food from rain, snow, etc. Here is the problem: the flys are incredible this summer. I don't remember it being this bad last summer. It has been sooo hot and sooo humid which is probably why there are so many flys out there.

Any ideas what I can do to keep their food fly free or at least minimal?

I am not sure if it is the wet food that the fly's are attracted to or just this heat/humidity that is attracting them?

In the summer I would lay off the wet food and just be sure that they have plenty of water. The flies will attack the dry food as well, and really unless you can figure out a way to build a screened in feeding room, there isn't a way to prevent the flies from landing on the food. It might help to make your own automatic feeder- you will need a small bucket, or large rubber trashcan with a tight-fitting lid, a piece of duct tape and a sharp knife.

Take the bucket/trashcan and at the bottom of the bucket/trashcan on the side, close to the ground carve a golfball size hole- not ON the bottom, but in the front near the bottom. Place the piece of duct tape over the hole. Fill the bucket/trashcan with dry food- replace the lid. Position the bucket/trashcan where you want to feed. I try to elevate it a bit and put a cookie tray underneath the hole. Remove the tape and the food tumbles out. When the cats need more, they reach up with their paw dislodging the stuck food and more tumbles out.