Summer is the most popular time for riding activities and horse shows. The weather is warm and the days are long. What could be better? Besides one small and rather annoying problem. All of the things you enjoy about summer flies and other pests enjoy as well. By equipping your horse and barn properly pests will be discouraged from sticking around.
Daily Maintenance
Keeping your barn and pastures clean and tidy is the number one thing you can do to get rid of flies and other bugs. Remove manure from stalls and pastures regularly, and collect it into a manure pile which you can then compost or spread. If you do choose to have a manure pile be sure to keep it a good distance away from the barn, your home, and your neighbors. Mow down weeds and have the grass and other plants trimmed so you don’t give bugs and other pests a chance to live and breed nearby. Also, it is important to have as little standing water as possible. Mosquitoes breed in water, so having a quality drainage system is key. Scrub out all buckets and water troughs on a regular basis and change the water often. Automatic waterers are a great option because the water isn’t exposed to insects and they don’t have to be filled or cleaned which makes them extremely convenient.
Prepare For The Season
If you begin combating flies before the height of the season you will have far fewer to deal with; costing you less time and money. You may want to try parasitoid wasps commonly called fly parasites, which are tiny non stinging wasps that kill fly pupae by laying their eggs in them. The wasp larvae then feed on the fly in the pupae, killing it before it hatches. If you do plan to use these, be sure to release them before summer begins. When temperatures hit 50 degrees as a high is the perfect time to order your fly parasites and set them out. Release them in places with the highest fly population such as feeding and watering areas, along fence lines, and other locations horses tend to congregate. Remember to reinforce your fly protection by adding more fly parasites every three to four weeks.
If you prefer not to use fly parasitoids there are other ways to stop flies from maturing. Another effective fly control method is feed-through fly control. When a horse eats a fly control feed it stops fly larvae from forming in their digestive system. Feed-through fly control works best when all horses in your barn are on it as no fly larvae are able to grow at all.
Setting out fly traps in early spring or as soon as the weather begins to warm up will attract those flies that appeared early or migrated to your barn. Place traps between the source of the flies and the horses, such as the manure pile and the barn. Make sure you put traps up high and out of reach of horses. Having good air flow inside the stable will also prevent flies from landing or coming inside altogether. Plus, good ventilation is always important to keep horses happy and healthy.
Fly Sprays and Sheets
During the heat of the summer you may need some backup when it comes to protecting your horse from insects. Fly sprays are one of the most popular choices, but they don’t last long and can wash off with water or sweat. Fly sheets, masks, and boots provide a barrier between the bugs and your horse. They are a good defense but may need to be replaced frequently if your horse is pastured. A combination of mask, sheet, boots, and fly spray is the best way to guard your horse from flies and other pests.