5 ways to eradicate your fly problem this year
Flies can be more than just an annoying part of horse ownership. Flies can irritate a horse’s skin causing or worsening an open soar. Horses can cause leg injuries by constantly stomping to chase flies away. Plus, flies can carry diseases. Don’t wait until it’s a big problem before planning your offensive against these dirty little creatures.
Here are 5 ways you and your horses can live fly free.
Use a Fly Predator: Fly predators kill flies while they are very young. By placing the fly predators near your manure areas every few weeks they can really make an impact on the number of flies you have. Spalding-labs.com has a fantastic Fly Predator Schedule that calculates the number of predators you need and when to apply.
Feed-through fly control: There are now several brands of feed-through fly control on the market. The most common and natural ingredient to prevent fly larvae from hatching is Diatomaceous Earth. You can either purchase Diatomaceous Earth alone or for added benefit, choose a product like Med-Vet Flies-A-Way that includes natural ingredients like Garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar to help repel biting insects.
Use a Fly Repellent that you spray or wipe on: Owners have an option when it comes to topical fly repellents. You can choose to go with something all-natural like Natures Force Fly Spray that uses a mixture of different natural oil to repel flies for up to 24-hours. Or, you can choose a chemical-based repellent such as Farnam’s Equisect Fly Repellent.
TIP: I always buy my fly spray and spray on conditioner in concentrate. Then I mix them in the same spray bottle. Now every time I apply fly spray, I’m also conditioning my horse.
Deck your horse out in fly attire: I will admit I don’t often do this unless the flies are really bad or if the horse has a summer allergy-like sweet itch. The reason is that I like looking out my window at my horses with their glossy coats all shiny in the sun. so it’s purely a selfish reason.
Fly Masks. Fly masks come with a variety of features. If your horse has sensitive ears, they have ones that cover the ears, if they get a lot of flies on their nose, you can cover that as well. The ones that cover the nose are also great for horses that burn easily.
Fly Boots. If your horses are doing a lot of stomping from fly irritation, this can lead to tender feet. Fly Boots can keep those pesky flies off. Professional Choice makes a nice fly boot that is durable and can stand up to daily use.
Fly Sheets. Like fly masks, there is a bunch of variety with sheets and it all comes down to what you are trying to cover and your style preference. One place I do like using a flysheet is our horse trailer. If you have a horse that always ends up with black rubbing marks on the hind end, try using a fly sheet that covers that area. The horse will stay cool and the sheet will protect the area against discoloration from the trailer.
Trap those flies where they like to hang out: Flytraps are gross (In my opinion). But they work! hang a disposable fly trap in the barn or stable where flies tend to hang out and the flytrap will catch a good portion of them.
