Fly control in the Southeast

[Doc-t]

Hi Zbear!

Personally I like the shotgun. I keep blasting away. Even though it isn’t very effective, I just feel better afterwards!

This is my way of saying how difficult it is to get flies under control on a horse farm. Let’s start by dividing the farm into 2 areas: inside the barn and outside the barn.

Inside the barn – The most effective measure that works every time are high velocity fans. The horses stand with their eyes closed appreciating the no fly zone they create. You also mentioned another effective measure and this is to clean away all “organic material.” Unfortunately there is usually more of this left in the barn after cleaning out the fresh manure.

Fly bait seems to help a lot. I keep it in a container within the stall so the horse can’t get to it. I sprinkle it on the barn floor after sweeping up. However this may not be what you want to do if you have cats and dogs. Read the label for warnings.

Outside the barn is more difficult. If you can install a fan in a run-in shed then this will work. If you are in a warm climate you can add water mist to the fan though this makes a mud hole under the fan.

Everyone who uses fly predators likes their effectiveness. They certainly reduce the load especially around the outside of the barn or near the manure pile (which should be far from the barn).

I’ve never been a big fan of feed through fly control since I saw 1 horse have an adverse effect from the ingredients (liver inflammation reversed when it was not fed anymore). The manufacturer denied it was their product but I believe there are some horses sensitive to it. In addition, read the ingredients as some have corn as a base and I don’t feed any grain to my horses.

Of course fly masks are a given here in south FL along with copious spraying with pyrethrin fly control products before turn out. Turn out after dusk and bringing them in at dawn works well along with the fans.

And when you really get frustrated, be sure your horses are not in your line of sight when you start shooting your shotgun.

Looking forward to other people’s responses especially from outside the USA.

[Lancette]

Thank you for that question. I am also struggling to control flies. I live in Arizona. I keep my barn clean, with traps, fly spray, fly masks etc. I still have a lot of flies. It is unpleasant for horses and humans. I recently visited a local barn and was shocked that there were virtually no flies. In addition to the already mentioned ways to control flies they also use A Rabon Block and they feed diatomaceous earth. Are these two items safe for our horses? Are they a better choice than than the nasty issues that can be caused by flies? Thank you in advance.

[Doc-t]

I personally don’t like the feed through fly control though many find success with it. I tried it with my horses and one became very ill (jaundice and fever) so I never used it again. I have also had a few horses get the same illness with Strongid-C feed through dewormer. I warn everyone to look for this reaction within the 1st day or 2 but if there is no reaction after 2 days, they never become ill.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) are the microscopic shells of diatoms – snails from the ocean depths. The theory is that they scrape away the parasites physically with the sharp corners. There are a lot of horse owners believing in DE for parasite control but I’m not one of them. I don’t believe I have heard DE being used as fly control. I also have not heard of DE causing any harm to horses.

[KayTeeDid]

That was true of the one we used years ago. Last year I started to use this product. Solitude – which I believe works in an entirely different way. I only used it on 2 horses and had no problems. I believe it had a good result but I also increased my use of fly bait with about 4 bait stations – using Golden Malrin alternating with Quick Strike. As well as sprinkling both fly baits in the grass around the barn every couple of days.

[Doc-t]

I posted this somewhere else but I must have missed this post (identical on Solitude) – so I will copy and paste here:

From the Zoetis website is the following on how Solitude works:

HOW IT WORKS

1) SOLITUDE IGR is fed daily to the horse and is excreted in the manure.
2) House and stable flies lay their eggs in the manure, and the eggs hatch into the larval (maggot) stage.
3) As the maturing larvae feed on the treated manure, they become unable to develop into adult flies because cyromazine, the active ingredient in SOLITUDE IGR, inhibits formation of chitin. Chitin is the base of the fly’s exoskeleton.
4) The immature flies die.

It seems to work on our farm with no ill effects on our small number of horses and I have not heard of others having a problem with it either.

More from their site:

EFFECTIVE

In two studies, Solitude IGR was 95 -100% effective against house and stable flies. Significant results may be observed within two weeks. Full benefits are realized between four to six weeks from initial administration.

SAFE

SOLITUDE IGR has been safely used in horses since 2003, and research has demonstrated its effectiveness and safety in horses. It creates a healthier environment for horses, as threats from infectious disease vectors may be reduced.
Greatly reduces the need for pesticide sprays and overhead fly systems, creating a healthier environment for horses, staff and riders.

[Rosie]

I have heard of many people using chia seeds to help maintain healthy skin/coat, reducing fly bites, which I feel is important for the horse. I am unsure if Chia is okay for the no grain diet though. You can’t get rid of flies and pests entirely unfortunately, but when it becomes a health issue to your horse (Sweet Itch, bug bite sensitivity that result in hives) you’ll try anything! I live in South Fl and my horse has sensitivity to no see um bites. I’ve tried a supplement through smart pak with no results, I’ve tried a fly sheet which my horse ended up ripping and getting off, Ive tried different homemade fly spray blends because I don’t like the ones that aren’t all natural. I did a lot of research and made a fly spray with Apple Cider Vinegar, pure 100% peppermint oil, and water. She wears a fly mask when out and I started giving her 20 grams of organic Spirulina (blue green algae) 3 weeks ago and for the first time this year she hasn’t had any welts! Hopefully the Spirulina continues to help her but if not I may try to find something else.

[Doc-t]

Chia seeds are plant seeds and therefore fall into the seed category when discussing plant lectins. Because of this they are not included in the no-grain approach. But let’s say it was. What is it in Chia seeds that reduces fly inflammation and produces a healthy hair coat? This intrigues me.

We all want the “best” for the horse and keeping some horses in a high fly “attack” area using a fence may not be in keeping with our desires. The quick response is to add something internally to “fix” one thing but overlook any side effects it may have.

I would rather work on the chronic inflammation behind all the outward appearances of inflammation (poor hair coat, hives, welts, ventral midline dermatitis, etc). I start with removing as much gut inflammation as possible. This is the basis for the no grain challenge. I then try to reduce insulin resistance (IR) and increase insulin sensitivity. IR in humans is now the number one cause of chronic inflammation caused by inflammatory cells being released from the over-fed fat cells. This is done by reducing glucose intake. Between these 2 tactics, many horses are no longer having the skin conditions that plague horses in the fly season.

But even with the reduction in chronic inflammation, fly sprays, fly masks and high velocity fans are all needed in many parts of the world. It is a combined effort. And please remember in these efforts the cleaning of the environment – pick out the stalls and paddocks and move all waste to a location physically separated from the barn (walls, hedges, pits etc).

[Caroline]

What about garlic? Is this an Old Wives tale or is there some support to feed in small amounts to keep flies/mossies off?

c.

[Doc-t]

I’m not sure – but I’ll tell you this. As much as I love garlic in my food, NEVER feed garlic to your horses the morning of when the dentist is coming to work on your horses. I get sick every time I inhale it!

With this in mind, I don’t smell a lot of farms using garlic. Is it a wive’s tale? I would think so because if it really worked, I would smell it more when I go to the farms in the morning.