How To Control Flies On The Farm How To Control Flies On The Farm
For proper fly control and to reduce the fly population in a horse barn and barnyard, you have to have the right tools in your arsenal. There are many methods of winning your war against flies, and your horses will love you for your efforts!
To prepare for battle, here are some key fly control weapons designed to kill flies at their various life stages.
- Traps do a great job of catching adult flies. Two basic types of traps exist on the market, each designed to attract a different kind of fly. Stable flies are attracted to their traps visually. House flies are attracted to their traps by odor, which can be fairly offensive to humans. Both types should be hung outside, away from your barn, near potential fly breeding locations. If you hang traps inside your barn, you'll actually invite flies in. Generally, traps should be hung less than four feet from the ground, but be sure to follow manufacturer's recommendations for your trap to achieve the best results. You may also want to test various sites on your property to see which locations capture the most flies.
Note: Sticky traps and tapes without lures catch flies when they land to rest. These can be hung successfully inside a stable, but be aware that you may also inadvertently catch small birds, bats and beneficial insects such as dragonflies.
- Misters and space sprays, such as the Country Vet Dispenser, provide quick knockdown of flies and other insects within your barn. This battery-operated dispenser is inexpensive and easy to install, and it releases insect killing insecticide according to a built-in timer.
Types of Flies and What to Use:
Biting Stable Fly
House Fly
Tips: - Any insecticide that kills stable and house flies may also kill your fly predators.
- You may find it necessary to rotate different products throughout your fly season. A trap or spray that works in one area during the spring may not be as effective in the same area in late summer.
- See How to Protect Your Horse from Flies for a variety of suggestions to keep your horse comfortable.
Actions to Take to Reduce Fly Populations
In addition to the products you can purchase for fly control around your property, you can also take these significant steps to create an unfriendly environment for them.
- Because flies need warm, moist breeding grounds in which to lay their eggs, remove all decaying organic matter from your property. Piles of rotting leaves, grass clippings, decaying fruit or vegetables from gardens all provide an attractive environment in which eggs can be laid.
- For the same reason, maximize heat in your manure compost pile by keeping it piled vertically as much as possible rather than spread horizontally. Turn your pile to introduce oxygen, which is necessary for decomposition. Add lime to speed up decomposition, and make sure your manure pile stays slightly damp. Increased heat makes your manure pile a less attractive breeding area for flies. If it becomes hot enough, all but the outer edge of your manure pile will be too hot to allow flies to lay eggs. You can also cover the manure piles with black plastic to further increase heat.
- If you spread your manure on your property, do it thinly (less than 1/2 inch thick) so that the matter dries quickly before it can become a fly breeding ground.
- Remove fly resting areas near your barn and pastures by keeping grass and weeds cut short. Flies rest on long grass to escape direct sunlight.
- Solve any drainage problems on your property. Remove moisture and debris that accumulates around watering troughs and level areas where puddles occur. Make sure your hoses and pumps don't drip as the moisture there will attract flies.
- Clean feed tubs, mangers and areas where horses eat to avoid accumulating crumbs and moist, decaying food waste that becomes attractive to flies.
- Use ceiling and portable fans in your barn to keep the air moving. Circulating air is difficult for flies to navigate and it inhibits their ability to land on your horse. Stall fan holders enable you to mount a portable box fan at the top of a stall at a 45 degree angle so that the air streams down over your horse.
- Keep stalls free of manure and urine as the odors are attractive to bothersome house flies. Products such as Odor-No-More and Stable Fresh can help you keep your stalls even fresher and more odor-free than regular mucking alone.
- Encourage natural insect predators —birds and bats— to set up residence on your property by hanging bird and bat houses.
How to Protect Your Horse from Flies How to Protect Your Horse from Flies
You can help your horse avoid the annoying effects of flies by using a combination of these items of horse clothing and topical treatments like horse fly repellent. For effective methods of reducing the fly population on your farm, refer to
How to Control Flies on the Farm.
Fly sheets have an open weave mesh to keep bugs off a horse's body. Some models of fly sheet are coated with horse fly repellent for added protection.
Fly masks, sometimes called fly bonnets, are made of see-through mesh. They keep flies, which can be attracted to eye secretions, from landing in horses' eyes and causing infections. Fly masks come in a variety of styles, including those that cover the ears and that extend to the end of the nose. Some fly mask models are designed of very fine, lightweight mesh for use over bridles during riding, and others are made of sturdier mesh to stand up to the rigors of turnout and horseplay.
Ear nets, sometimes called fly hoods or fly bonnets, are a tool that some riders use to keep flies and other bugs from bothering a horse's ears during riding. Ear nets are usually made of crocheted yarn or a combination of crocheted yarn and fabric. They are designed to be worn over a horse's ears with a flap that goes under the browband. Fringe along the edges helps deter insects from bothering a horse's eyes.
Note: If you intend to compete with your horse wearing an ear net, be sure to check the rules and regulations regarding your classes. The use of ear nets may be prohibited except during warm-up and schooling.
Fly wraps are mesh leg coverings designed to keep flies off a horse's legs and may help reduce stomping.
Fly Collar, which is covered with horse fly repellent to ward off flies, mosquitoes and gnats from the horse's head and neck.
Fly Sprays, fly wipes and fly roll-ons are available in many all-natural and synthetic formulas that not only repel flies but gnats, mosquitoes, ticks and other insects as well. Active ingredients in horse fly repellent may include organic pyrethrin derived from the chrysanthemum plant or oils and essences that are naturally repellent to insects, such as cedar, citronella or peppermint. Or they may include synthetically derived permethrin, a strong deterrent to ticks, in an inert base. Horse fly repellents are designed to prevent insects from landing on your horse, but they do not kill them. Insecticides actually kill the bugs that come in contact with them. Some fly products combine the effects of both repellents and insecticides.
Dover Saddlery product advisors recommend that you test any new batch of fly spray on your horse prior to a full application to check for allergic reaction. For optimal performance, be sure to follow manufacturer's guidelines for any horse fly repellent, and apply it to a clean horse as directed on the label. Also, check the application rate recommended by the manufacturer. Some are designed to be sweat resistant and can be applied less frequently. Apply horse fly repellent or insecticide to your horse's face carefully by wiping it on or using a targeted product such as a roll-on to avoid his eyes.
Sweat, urine and manure stains make horses more attractive to flies. Be sure your horse is clean before applying your fly product to achieve the best results. Also, you should rotate between the types of fly sprays you use because over time, flies can become accustomed to the scent of a spray, making it less effective. However, bathing your horse between applications of different types of fly sprays is wise to prevent reaction between the active ingredients.
Note: When you're spraying fly repellents and insecticides on your horse, remember that the over-spray may kill any fly predators in the immediate area.
Spot On Treatments such as Farnam Equispot and Freedom 45 Spot On Fly Control are also available for use to control and kill flies and other insects that bother horses and carry disease. These treatments are applied less frequently than other topical treatments, so you should be sure to follow manufacturer's instructions for application.
Swat is a thick cream that is mixed with a natural horse fly repellent. It is designed to be used near open wounds and sensitive areas such as the belly line to ward of infection-causing flies.
Tips for Fighting Flies 
Tips for Fighting Flies Flies and insects can cause quite a bit of irritation to your horse around the stable, in the paddock and while being ridden. Use these tips for fighting flies to decrease the pests at your barn. - Capture adult flies with
assorted traps - Repel or kill flies with
sprays and
topical treatments - Shield horses with
fly masks and
fly sheets - Clear your property and stable of debris where flies lay eggs - Enhance your habitat for beneficial birds and bats which eat flies and other insects
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