Competition Sidekick

In Season

 

 

War on Flies

 

The trick to controlling flies is to get to them before they are born.

 

Let’s take a quick trip back to sixth grade biology where we learned the life cycle of the fly: egg, larva, pupa, adult. At eleven, you might have thought it was “gross,” but understanding that cycle, and how often it is played out during fly season, can help you make the best decisions for fly control.     

 

Flies have a place in the ecology–to help with the decomposition of organic material. Your job, then, is to do the work for the flies as you protect your horses.

 

Different flies plague different parts of the country. But one problem is common to all–the agricultural property must be prepared to deal with flies at every point in the life cycle. Most flies go through this cycle in about ten days. Your horse, barn, pens, pastures, and arena all serve as breeding grounds and buffet table.

 

Horse Care

Your horse is not always in your own fly-free zone. As you travel and work and ride out on the trail, you have many options for repelling flies from your horse’s body.

 

You must decide whether to use synthetic chemicals or all-natural products. Each has pros and cons. Synthetics last longer. Natural products can be less harmful to sensitive animals and people.

 

Repellent sprays will help to keep flies from landing on your horse while working. Fiebing’s Flyspray 44 combines the power of pyrethrins with the longer lasting piperonyl butoxide which eliminates the need to rotate sprays. One coating is said to last for several days, and includes lanolin which is good for the haircoat. Absorbine’s new Ultrashield Green, on the other hand, has been proven to repel flies and mosquitos for only eight hours, however the ingredients are all essential oils. The all-natural spray will not affect people with sensitive skin.

 

Of course it is important to apply repellents properly. No spray repellent should ever be sprayed on a horse’s face. Instead, the repellent can be sprayed into a towel and then wiped on, or a roll-on repellent that is specifically designed for use near the mucus membranes can be used. A non-chemical option is a well fitted fly mask.

 

Some repellents can be ingested. Buggzo from HorseTech is a pellet which is easy to feed. The active ingredients are two kinds of garlic and apple cider vinegar. All have been shown to provide natural insect repellent.

 

Early Prevention

Early prevention. Before the first flies begin to hatch, evaluate your property for problem areas. Do flies tend to accumulate in the stalls? Does the manure pile up in your pastures? Are you in an area where other livestock properties supply you with even more flies? One of the most eco-friendly options is the use of beneficial insects. The Fly Predator from Spalding Labs attacks flies at the pupa stage, when the developing fly is dormant in a cocoon. Beneficials will kill a large percentage of flies before they even reach the flying and biting stage.

 

Hanging in the Barn

Several options will address the adult fly problem. Netting can help to keep birds and flies out of open stall areas. Horse Fly Net makes an environmentally friendly vinyl netting which can be structurally installed. Traps and strips can also remove flies from the barn, but logic must be used in their application. Since traps employ rotting meat to draw flies, it is best to place them away from your barn. The pesticide free Flies Be Gone traps are currently in use by the US military in Iraq, where they can be seen hanging from tanks and in foxholes. Sticky strips will be most effective if hung about 4” from the ground. The challenge is making sure that horses and riders can’t reach them, as they will stick immediately to hair, skin, and tack.

 

Sprayers

Another option for the barn, which can address both flies and other cold blooded animal pests, is a sprayer system. A well designed system like the Automagic Flyspray System which uses Pyranha Space Spray can be set on a timer to spray throughout the day at regular intervals. The active ingredient is pyrethroids, which are extremely effective against both flies and mosquitos, and break down quickly in sunlight.

 

Manure Control

Manure is the horse property’s fly breeding ground. It is both food and nest, and several life cycles play out in the stinky goodness. Flies are a necessary evil in most cases as they help to break down the manure into fertilizer. When you take on that responsibility, flies will naturally decrease.

 

Managing manure can be the most important part of your fly control program. In a barn, the basic equipment includes an “apple picker,” a wheelbarrow, and you. In a pasture, however, the wheelbarrow might be a daunting proposition. The Greystone Paddock Vac comes to your rescue: it actually vacuums up manure. It can then easily be emptied into a garbage can, compost pile, or spreader.

 

The manure should be disposed of carefully and immediately. In dry areas, you might use a manure spreader to separate the pieces into a thin layer crops and gardens. For example, the Rotary SMART Shredder does exactly what its name implies: shreds the manure and lays down a very thin layer so that it dries very quickly.

 

In a wetter climate, manure should be combined with other composting materials and properly covered. A properly constructed compost pile will generate too much heat for flies to lay their eggs.

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