It's that time of year again! The flies are out and rapidly multiplying. Did you know that flies can cause many equine problems such as dermatitis, allergies, internal parasites, bacterial, viral, and fungal diseases. These pesky flies can be hard to get rid of, however there are ways to help manage them.
Manure control is your first defense in warding off those bothersome flies that attack your horses and other animals. Manure piles are breeding grounds for flies so keeping them as far from the barn as possible is essential for management. Some ways to manage manure are as follows;
- Keep manure piles 100-200 feet away from buildings, barns, and horses
- Haul manure away from barn if possible
- Keep stall clean and free of urine and manure
- Pick your pastures for manure
- Compost or spread manure
Next, know the type of flies you are dealing with. This is important because different flies have different life cycles, so treatment can vary depending on the fly type. Some additional ways to manage fly control are as follows;
- Insecticides: Offer temporary fly control
Ex. permethrin, and pyrethrins.
- Fly sheets/masks: Effective in eliminating fly landing zones
Brand Examples: Amigo Mio, Rambo, and Tough-1
- Air Circulation: Fans in barns assist in preventing landing surfaces
- Topical Sprays: Effective for short intervals at a time, must be reapplied
Ex. Endure, Ultrashield, Repel-X, and Bronco
- Feed through insecticides: Fed to pass through manure which interrupts developing maggots and reduces fly production in manure however does not eliminate them from developing in bedding and organic matter.
Ex. 3 in 1 Buglyte, Simplify, and Solitude
- Fly Predators: Offers control by consuming fly pupa before it hatches from the cocoon. More information and order forms can be found on our website.
Written by Ashlynn Noble