Are hornets attracted to dark horses?

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FFAQ

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3 of the horses on our yard are black and seem to attract hornets. Only one at a time - they're not attracting a swarm (thankfully), but they must be getting stung as they're really worried about them. The one that seems to be the biggest target wears a zebra fly rug anyway because she's a fly magnet in general.
I cover everyone in fly repellent twice daily, but thought someone on here is bound to have some good advice. Any ideas?
 
I don't know but have been using hedgewitch fly repellent this year and it's seems to be working, you have to apply it twice a day but one of mine that previously had to to have a sweet itch rug has gone without this year, alongside feeding niacinamide from March.
 
rextherobber said:
That's bizarrely unusual behaviour for a Hornet, are you sure it's not Deer fly? Biteback Superfly works well, for those horrible crab flies too
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Sounds a lot more like the behaviour of a deer fly than a hornet. Hornets eat insects. Deer flies are big things.
 
Another possibility that drives horses mental and must be around soon is a Bot fly. They will hound a horse and used to seem particularly attracted to one of my horses who was pretty old and chilled but used to loose his mind.
 
Everything gets attracted to black horses! I was riding in a swarm of different flying insects at the weekend..clegs bit me and my poor mare ..I don’t think we ve got hornets but if we had I bet they would ve joined in too!
 
Ah, maybe it's a deer fly then. Looks a lot like a hornet?
Pinkyboots I use hedgewitch too. Very good at repelling ticks!
 
Just had a look on good old Google. I don't think they are deer flies. They are far too yellow compared with the images on there.
 
Have you looked up Bot flies? They look very bee like and before we knew what they were that is what we thought they were. Totally harmless but spray eggs on the horses legs and they send horses frantic. You can catch them in your hand and they can't hurt as have no sting
 
Might be a dark giant horsefly. One chased my pony into the barn yesterday. They're hornet size and sound like hornets and drive the horses nuts (understandably!), leaving big lumps when they bite.
 
Pinkvboots said:
I don't know but have been using hedgewitch fly repellent this year and it's seems to be working, you have to apply it twice a day but one of mine that previously had to to have a sweet itch rug has gone without this year, alongside feeding niacinamide from March.
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Sorry to jump on the post but please could I ask how you feed the niacinamide as one of my horses really reacts to flies / midges so wondering if that would help. Thank you.
 
Sandy200 said:
Sorry to jump on the post but please could I ask how you feed the niacinamide as one of my horses really reacts to flies / midges so wondering if that would help. Thank you.
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I buy 100g bag of it on amazon then put it in a 560ml bottle with water and just sprinkle 20mls on top of the feed everyday from March through to September or October.

It works better if you start it before they itch but worth a try now maybe start with a bigger loading dose.
 
Pinkvboots said:
I buy 100g bag of it on amazon then put it in a 560ml bottle with water and just sprinkle 20mls on top of the feed everyday from March through to September or October.

It works better if you start it before they itch but worth a try now maybe start with a bigger loading dose.
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That’s great thank you
 
Beausmate said:
Might be a dark giant horsefly. One chased my pony into the barn yesterday. They're hornet size and sound like hornets and drive the horses nuts (understandably!), leaving big lumps when they bite.
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Ah, that sounds like it could be it. Whatever they are the tend to land on the main body of the horses, not the legs, and they definitely don't leave yellow eggs like bots. The horses are definitely afraid of them 😔
 
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