I know it is only February (but it is almost March) but the flies were pretty bad last Summer but we arrived so late in the Summer in TN (Remus arrived in July) I couldn’t do much about it. I want to get a move on it this year. I have seen some noseeums and mosquitos already (not a lot but a bit) so want to get this fly containment system rolling before Summer. And the frogs (and their noise) have returned to our pond this week. Sounds like a convention of Batman Riddlers laughing out there…seriously I need to get audio.
I have two manure piles. One is old stuff from last year, the other one is newer stuff (the older one should be gone soon if the guy can ever pick it up since the weather has not been cooperating!). I turn the piles often as I can and I also compress and bunch it up with the tractor too.
The mud is an issue and I know flies will love mud. Just two or three days of sun with some wind and it is already drying but I don’t expect that to last.
So what do you use for flies? I used the predators in Texas when I had my horses at home. I think it helped but I can’t even remember that far back. (I am getting old I know!).
Let me know the pros and cons if you use the predators (or if your boarding facility does) or what else you use. We do have a fly spray system in the barn that helps but that on its own won’t keep them down that much I know. Funnily enough, Spalding somehow found me and sent a catalog just this week (HOW I DON’T KNOW since I haven’t bought from them since 2005 or so) but it was good timing. I am all set to order some again but just thought I would ask you all about this and how you keep flies away at least a bit!
Thanks in advance for any feedback! Meanwhile it is going to get cold here after today again and chance of some rain but not torrential. I hope we can keep the paddock and field semi-dry (they are so good I can walk most of the area now but that will not last) so I can actually maybe do something with my horse. We shall see!
Fat Buckskin in a Little Suit 
We use the predators and it seems to work well! Definitely better in some parts of the property than others, which is interesting. The sun looks so pretty and really brings out Remus’ dapples š
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thanks I think they will help here too as long as i can keep things from eating them!
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We already have flies! I just ordered my first gallon of fly spray for the year yesterday lol.
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ICK that sucks
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ugh flies. i don’t know a lot about it bc i think it really depends on specific micro environments – like each of the barns i’ve boarded at have had different pest issues ugh. tho our least buggy barn (isabel’s) also had the most barn swallows. not sure if that’s related tho haha. anyway good luck!
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Ooh, will be interested to hear what works for you. I’m planning to do the predators and then physical protection for the horses legs/faces. Fortunately they will miss the worst of our deer fly season (early summer) this year! Those pesky house/black flies are still a bother tho.
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Do you get horseflies? If you haven’t seen it already, I could send you a link to a cool diy trap going around facebook from a guy in Indiana (where I’m at) that my trainer had thought about trying but didn’t get around to it. Apparently it worked for someone in Tennessee (I found an article someone had written about the original one) and I’ve been curious about it haha.
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I saw someone selling one last year and it was like 300 dollars LOL! we do get horseflies they are horrible! email me the link martidoll@gmail.com!
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I guess the one advantage to 6 months of freezing temperatures means no flies for more than half the year!
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ha there is that! š
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Predators can work but if you have neighbors that donāt use anything they wonāt work as well. Put them out early enough.
The best thing I was told was to encourage as many natural predators as possible. Bat boxes are amazing and research local insect eating birds and how you can bring them in.
Last year we had next to no bugs but we have so so so many bats and insect eating birds that it kept them down.
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We are lucky we have no other herd animals (THE GUY WITH THE PIG at the end of the street is at least 30-40 acres away (Our neighbor’s property) and the other horses are at least a mile or two away so I think we are okay on that. We unfortunately have a lake behind us and a pond out front so even with a ton of bats and birds we stil have issues…thanks!! I will look into bat boxes (We have the bats already)!
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Just gonna leave this here: http://www.batcon.org/resources/getting-involved/bat-houses
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We’ve used them, and they work well for our two horses, especially if you get them at the right time. We’ve just had to be careful of birds and ants carting them away. Otherwise I really like them!
And hell yes to the Riddler GIF from the Adam West Batman!!!
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remus’ dapples are beautiful!
The flies were so bad last year omg I forgot about it until you just said that. I rode in a full fly cape. I also got the most disgusting fly spray that smelled like moldy wet towels.
I’m hoping we have 1 month of no monsoons and no flies so I can briefly enjoy my horse.
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I know how sad is it that it is FEB and I am talking about flies!! UGH.
He pretty much has dapples all year round even with a winter coat. #specialhorse HA!
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I got nothing, but curious to hear what you decide works for you! The flies aren’t the worst where I am fortunately, though we definitely have them. The mosquitoes are terrible at certain times, but honestly, is there anyway to control those little jerks? I don’t really think there is.
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Those disgusting fly bags help a lot. Also the Shoo Fly Leggins are great to stop them from biting their legs and stamping their feet.
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Not sure how close other horse/livestock are to you, but Solitude IGR has made a HUGE difference for us. Like so much so it’s hard to not praise the stuff enough. It does not keep flies/other bugs from attacking your horse (it changes nothing about your horse) but it makes it so the bugs can’t lay eggs in your horses’ manure. Every horse has to be on it and if you have close neighbors with horses/livestock that aren’t on it, it won’t help much. We started it at our CA barn and the difference between the years before Solitude and after was like night and day.
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Well except for Satan Pig (ahem) we have no other livestock near. I mean there are cows and a donkey about 2 miles away and some other horses about a mile the other way but not close….thanks i hadn’t even thought of feed thru stuff!
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Gotta love the south… Our bugs never really go away in FL. My vet writes great blog posts and did one about flies: https://springhillequine.com/tuesdays-tony-flies/ she a really good podcast on the subject too if you really want to go in depth.
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thank you so much!!
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Has anyone tried the horsefly traps from SmartPak? We have horrible horse flies in the summer. Nothing repels them, we may have to go with fly sheets & traps!
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I know everyone has thier version of those I cannot fathom why they are 300 dollars though if it works I might just be willing! I agree horseflies are the WORST!
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My mom uses the fly predators and has had a lot of luck with them. The only thing you have to be careful with is the fly spray you use. You aren’t supposed to use the stuff that kills the flies b/c you’ll kill the predators and then they’ll be pointless. So if you use them be very careful about what spray you use for your barn fly spray system! Or at least that’s what I’ve heard and it makes sense to me
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Yes I remember that about the fly spray. I was thnking of using them mostly at the manure pit tho I would use them inside for the barn until I turn the fly spray system on this summer? IT IS TOO MUCH WORK TO FIGURE OUT FLY CONTROL š HA!
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I’m no help on the fly front (maybe it’s too hot for them to get too bad in Texas? ) but I’ll be wishing you luck and following along to see what happens!
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