Fly control tips and tricks
tips and tricks
We’ve learned a lot about fighting flies over the years. Here are eight facts that you can use in your efforts to keep winged pests from making horses miserable.
We’ve learned a lot about fighting flies over the years. Here are 8 facts that you can use in your efforts to keep winged pests from making horses miserable.
No one is going to fault you for not wanting to think too much about flies. You probably already spend a good amount of each summer day dealing with them. With the repeated spraying and wiping of repellents and the endless cycle of putting on and taking off masks and wraps, no one wants to spend time dwelling on these pests.
Yet, chances are, a question or two has crossed your mind as you’ve waged your battle against bugs, all ultimately amounting to “What can I do to make this work better?”
Read on for help answering that question as well as some facts about the nature and habits of winged pests to consider when implementing fly-control measures. In many cases, it’s possible to not only maximize your efforts but to save time or money---or both at the same time.
1. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR FLY SPRAY IS LARGELY IN YOUR HANDS.
Like any other product, how you use insecticides and repellent sprays affects how well they work. These may seem like commonsense suggestions, but they are important if you want to get the most bang for your fly-control buck:
•
Mix concentrated products according to the manufacturer’s directions. Don’t just “eyeball” or guess on amounts. Also, remember to shake the bottle before each application to ensure the product is fully mixed. • Apply products to a clean horse. Otherwise, the product will fall off as the mud and dust does. • Spray the entire horse in a methodical manner. Casually misting the top of the horse haphazardly will result in flies congregating in areas that weren’t treated.
• Apply enough spray. Many manufacturers recommend one to two ounces of product, which can be about 20 to 40 sprays of the bottle.
• Store fly spray bottles out of the sunlight to preserve their chemical integrity.
2. YOU CAN MAKE SPRAY BOTTLES LAST LONGER
A fly spray bottle that leaks with each pump makes a mess, and one that stops working entirely is useless. Most pre-filled bottles last until they are empty, but a bottle you intend to refill with concentrate repeatedly will get some hard use. Here are tips for ensuring that a spray bottle survives the entire season:
• Invest in quality. A $12 spray bottle that lasts is less expensive than cheaper bottles that need to be repeatedly replaced. Look for commercial-grade sprayers used by
cleaning services or greenhouses. You may also want to consider a pressurized sprayer.
• Clear the uptake tube and nozzle regularly. Spraying hot water through the equipment will clear out any clogs.
• Do not set spray bottles on the ground. To avoid nozzle-clogging dirt, as well as the risk of being stomped by human and equine feet, place bottles on a tack trunk or chair as you work.
3. APPLYING FLY SPRAY TO A HORSE WITH A WET COAT WON’T DIMINISH
ITS EFFECTIVENESS.
Contrary to popular belief, fly spray applied to a wet horse---say, after a bath ---is just as effective as the same amount of spray applied to a dry horse. The amount of active ingredient applied is determined by the concentration of
the product sprayed and how much spray ends up on the horse’s coat. If you follow the manufacturer’s instructions in preparing and applying the product, your horse will be protected even if his coat was damp when you applied the fly spray. But there’s one commonsense caveat: This doesn’t apply if the horse is dripping wet---then the product will be carried off with the excess water. Likewise, if you bathe or hose off your horse, or if he gets caught in a downpour, you’ll need to re-apply fly spray.
4. HORSES CAN LEARN TO LIKE (OR AT LEAST ACCEPT) HAVING FLY SPRAY APPLIED
A horse who flinches in response to being sprayed from a bottle isn’t being unreasonable---it’s a prey animal’s natural reaction to a sudden hissing sound. Most horses quickly realize there isn’t anything to fear, but some remain wary, making the application of fly repellents a frustrating experience for all involved. Try these tips to make fly-spraying less anxiety provoking for your horse.
• Use a good-quality, quiet sprayer.
Pump sprayers that must be “primed” first produce their mist in near silence.
• Control your body language. Approach the horse at his shoulder, use the spray bottle in slow, rhythmic sweeps, and respect the horse’s “threat” zones (his head and hindquarters).
• Acclimatize your horse to the noise.
Fill the sprayer with water and stand outside your horse’s stall while he eats. Spray at regular intervals, pointing away from your horse, until he ignores the noise in favor of food. Repeat the process inside the stall, again without actually spraying the horse. A few sessions of dinner-time spraying should reduce his terror. In fact, the association with food may even make spray sounds welcome.
• Desensitize your horse to the spray. Once noise is no longer a problem, find the level of spray contact your horse will tolerate. Start with a gentle mist, still using plain water. Pull the trigger slowly and aim the spray at his shoulder. If even this sensation is intolerable for your supersensitive horse, you can flick water gently at him with your fingers first. When he accepts this, re-introduce the light spray. Continue at a base comfort level until he ignores the misting, and then increase the pressure of the spray.
Move to other areas of the body as your horse accepts spraying at each site and intensity. Whenever he objects, return to the previously acceptable level until he settles, and then try again.
If you must apply fly spray to a fearful horse without delay, soak a towel in the mixture and wipe it directly on his coat. You will get the same benefits without the confrontation.
5. FLY-SHIELDING
CLOTHING CAN ADD ANOTHER DIMENSION TO YOUR FLY PROTECTION STRATEGY.
Insecticides and repellents work well, but for even more thorough protection, you can outfit your horse with clothing that physically blocks flies from landing on horses.
• Fly sheets are lightweight coverings for the horse’s torso, and many come with extra appendages, to extend coverage over the tail, belly and neck, where culicoides tend to attack. Light-colored fly sheets provide an extra deterrent to horse- and deer flies, which track victims by sight and are attracted to large, dark objects.
• Fly boots, mesh coverings for the lower legs, can guard against stable flies and other insects that alight there. Most well-made boots stay put, but consider buying an extremely bright color to make them easier to find in the field if your horse should pull them off.
• Fly masks are see-through mesh shields that cover the eyes to ward off face flies and houseflies attracted to tears; some come with ear nets, coverings for the ears, which are useful if black flies are a nuisance. Others come with fringed extensions that fall down over the nostrils to deter flies from landing there. Whatever mask you choose, clean it regularly; a mud-caked mask is difficult for a horse to see out of and can lead to eye irritation or injury.
• Ear nets, or bonnets, are crocheted cotton coverings that keep flies off the ears and poll; many of these have a tasseled front edge that lies above the eyes for further deterrence.
6. INSECTICIDES AND REPELLENTS
CAN BE APPLIED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
Not every horse owner (or horse, for that matter) likes sprays. Fortunately, you can find both insecticides and repellents in a variety of products for all sorts of application methods.
• Lotions are wiped directly onto the horse with a rag, and can be great for sensitives areas that you can’t easily spray, such as the horse’s ears and face. Some have added sunscreen for extra summer protection.
• Roll-on products are also great for around the eyes and ears. They are also typically small enough to toss in a saddle bag or pocket for a longer ride.
• Ointments tend to be thicker and may attract dirt and dust, but they are long-lasting and particularly helpful for keeping insects away from healing wounds or irritated skin.
• Spot-applied permethrin products are like flea-control products for cats and dogs---applied via drops at key points on a horse’s body.
• Fly collars and leg bands containing repellents are worn on the horse’s body and deter flies from landing nearby, not unlike flea collars for dogs and cats.
7. EQUINE LIVING SPACES CAN BE LESS
APPEALING TO FLIES
Here’s what you can do to make your horse’s stall, barn and run-in shed less appealing to insects:
• Be fastidious about keeping your horse’s spaces clean. Muck stalls and sheds at least once a day, and pick up manure from paddocks and fields regularly. Smaller or more crowded turnout spaces will need to be cleaned more often that larger ones. Don’t just drag a field to spread manure; that just scatters parasites eggs and fly larvae. Instead, pick up manure just as you would from a stall. Store dirty bedding as far away from the stable as possible and consider learning to compost if you don’t already.
Many fly species aren’t strong enough to navigate the air currents from a simple fan.
• Mount agricultural-grade fans in stalls, aisles and sheds. Many smaller fly species, such as houseflies and gnats, are weak fliers and cannot navigate the air current from a simple fan. Horses will quickly learn where to stand to maximize the cooling and bug-banishing effects of a fan. Just be sure to use fans designed for use in agriculture settings, otherwise you are risking an electrical short and possible barn fire.
• Design your run-in sheds to keep flies out. A deep shed will be a refuge from bugs that like sunlight, such as the dreaded horse- and deerflies. For extra protection, hang long panels of burlap or netting that have been impregnated with fly spray over the doorway. These will brush off and repel any flies on a horse’s coat as he pushes his way through the doorway---just be sure to train the horse to understand that he can get through what might look like an impenetrable barrier.
8. YOU CAN HARNESS
NATURE’S OWN “FLY CONTROL” SYSTEMS
It’s possible to encourage, or even introduce, animals that will reduce the population of flying pest by eating or otherwise killing them. Birds, bats, fish, dragonflies, frogs and a host of other predators eat mosquito eggs, larvae and adults. Keep ponds and other natural waterways healthy and clean, and plant shrubs and trees that will offer food and shelter to beneficial wildlife. Don’t automatically relocate birds that may nest in your barn. If their droppings aren’t contaminating anything, consider learning to coexists with them. Your local extension agent can guide you on the best choices to make in your region.
Another option is parasitoids, also known as fly predators. These tiny, non-stinging insects in the wasp family ravage fly populations by laying their eggs in the fly pupae. The baby predator wasps then consume the pupae before they can develop into flies. Fly predators are most effective if they’re released periodically throughout the spring and summer.
Birds, fish, frogs and a host of other predators eat mosquito eggs, larvae and adults.