The flies are out in full force. While I always look forward to warm weather I forget you have to take the good with the bad: good--I'm not frozen into the saddle, bad-Trillium and I are being plagued by bloodsucking little pests. Following the blackflies, which normally last about two weeks here, are the mosquitoes, and then the deer flies and other larger toothed kin. I can well remember conditioning for distance rides at a good hard trot, and being followed by a cloud of ravenous deer flies. It was certainly incentive to keep moving because deer flies don't sneak up and leave itchy little bumps, they take a slice right out of you. Nothing is more annoying than getting one caught in the vent of your helmet.
And then during the hottest months the real monsters appear. There are huge black colored flies almost two inches long and large striped bumblebee type bugs that make the horses instantly frantic. My father says he remembers being warned by his father that if those flies came around when a team was working in the field to clear out, because they made the horses go berserk. I wouldn't have believed it until I saw my own horses panicking, running and bucking to evade them. Thankfully, we usually only have to put up with the regular little black-files and mosquitoes. And there is help in the forms of lotions and sprays. If you're like me, you're not always comfortable with spraying chemicals on your horse (or yourself). What green insect control methods have you tried? Did they work? Leave your comments below, or add your ideas for environmentally and horse friendly pest control to this form.
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Comments
While using mainly UltraShield, I have heard great things about SuperShield Green from Absorbine. Its got no chemicals–just all natural ingredients. As an alternative, I hear it’s effective. On Absorbine’s website they are even offering coupons on it, along with their other products.
I am chemical sensitive so any repellant that contains a pesiticide (or any other chemical) is extremely unhealthy for me. Last year I fed my horse garlic and sprayed vinegar on her. This worked out well. I have also used Ultrashield Green, but I am not sure if it is completely chemical free. Most commercial products are not.
I have used SuperShield Green from Absorbine and it was OK. None of the green products seem to work as well as those with chemicals but maybe one day there will be a good one because spraying all those chemicals can’t be good for your horse or you.
I use the following mixture as a fly spray. I adjust the ingredients depending on what is biting. The skin so soft is for mosquitos. The listerine works so-so on deer flys. Nothing works with bott flys (the nasty yellow and black things) You smell like a horse salad going down the road. I live in the south and my horse is insect sensitive. I hate to use pyrethrins all the time so I came up with this mix.
1 cup cider Vinegar
10 drops lavender oil
10 drops ecculaptis oil
10 drops tea-tree oil
1/2 cup skin so soft bath oil.
1 cup listerine.