Avoiding dreaded flies

[Walnuts]

I am quite new to horse ownership but remember last year the heat and the flies. I suffer bad reactions to horse flies and would appreciate any advice on this topic for both horse and rider plus suggestions on good products that keep the bastard things away would be fab

 

[Equi]

Last year was the worst i had ever seen them and frankly i found nothing to stop them. If its as bad this year im genuinely considering a light trap to try and kill the buggers off as much as possible. I had a fly rug on the horse, but lifted it off and a swarm flew out from it so that was scrapped and i just stuck to a major deet filled spray. Jungle super strength works well for the humans, but be warned it melts most plastics and ruins clothes lol

 

[Red-1]

Last summer the flies were the worst I had known them too, I rode out from 4.30am onwards. Most days 5.30, but obviously if I wanted a longer ride before work it had to be earlier!

Horse flies must have a lie-in because I rarely saw more then 1 or two at that time of the day, whereas later on she would have at least 6 at a time eating her, and they got be through my breeches too.

I did find that stripey sheets attracted less, although I don't know why that should work as they are supposed to hunt bu carbon dioxide and heat, so striped blankets should not work, but they did.

 

[blitznbobs]

Hydrocortisone cream and an antihistamine as soon as possible after you get bitten I literally keep a tube in my pocket as I react badly too.... this keeps them down to a normal bite rather than my whole arm/leg/ whatever swelling up.

 

[TheHairyOne]

I have just got something called flypor from my vet (for cattle so prescription needed) which apparently doesnt just repel them but also kills anything that ignores it, including horseflies.

We were being plagued by the little black flies when she came out to do teeth and vacs which is why it came up.

If it works will be a lot cheaper than flyspry and it cant be any less effective against horseflies.

Will report back when it arrives!

 

[Walnuts]

Hydrocortisone cream and an antihistamine as soon as possible after you get bitten I literally keep a tube in my pocket as I react badly too.... this keeps them down to a normal bite rather than my whole arm/leg/ whatever swelling up.

Do you know the name of the cream please??

 

[Walnuts]

I have just got something called flypor from my vet (for cattle so prescription needed) which apparently doesnt just repel them but also kills anything that ignores it, including horseflies.

We were being plagued by the little black flies when she came out to do teeth and vacs which is why it came up.

If it works will be a lot cheaper than flyspry and it cant be any less effective against horseflies.

Will report back when it arrives!

I have just got something called flypor from my vet (for cattle so prescription needed) which apparently doesnt just repel them but also kills anything that ignores it, including horseflies.

We were being plagued by the little black flies when she came out to do teeth and vacs which is why it came up.

If it works will be a lot cheaper than flyspry and it cant be any less effective against horseflies.

Will report back when it arrives!

Do you spray it on the cattle / horse please????

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I used tritec 14 last year, was effective against horseflies, black fly and midges.

 

[Walnuts]

My wife is adamant that they bite through her clothing, short of wearing a suit of armour what's best for riding and being around the horses please

 

[TheHairyOne]

Do you spray it on the cattle / horse please????

No! Its a liquid and you pour 50ml of it from ears to tail once every 2 to 4 weeks apparently! Its not cheap at £40 a litre, but ive got 6 horse and that is a lot cheaper than flyspray! I really want this to work.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

My wife is adamant that they bite through her clothing, short of wearing a suit of armour what's best for riding and being around the horses please

wear light colours, horse flies hunt visually (which is why sprays don't work-tritec 14 works on contact) and they go after dark objects. Its not a guarantee but it does help. I have a black pony and they love him!

 

[blitznbobs]

Do you know the name of the cream please??

Just generic hydrocortisone 1% - available over the counter from any chemist

 

[SpotsandBays]

Avon Skin so soft I a really good deterant. I know a lot of walkers who won’t go without it in the summer. People sometimes do use this on their horses too but I wouldn’t reccommend as it is a dry oil spray and could burn! Also if you are prone to burning yourself then disregard this!
I’ve heard good things about deosect diluted and sprayed on the horse

 

[HeyMich]

I have just got something called flypor from my vet (for cattle so prescription needed) which apparently doesnt just repel them but also kills anything that ignores it, including horseflies.

I've just googled Flypor and you can buy it online for cattle, £38 for 1 litre. Is there any reason why I can't just buy it and use it on the horses? Why would I need to get a prescription from the vet? Apologies if what I'm suggesting is totally illegal/immoral...

I wonder if it works on Scottish midges...?!

 

[Carrottom]

If you get bitten I found that Calendula cream applied asap is very effective.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I used tritec 14 last year, was effective against horseflies, black fly and midges.

This. I have half bottle left to start this summer off again, usually pick up more at Royal Windsor show.
Makes deosect, skin so soft etc look very ineffective.
I ride v early, then spray Fuzzies, ensure access to shelter is available and all good for them 😎

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I've just googled Flypor and you can buy it online for cattle, £38 for 1 litre. Is there any reason why I can't just buy it and use it on the horses? Why would I need to get a prescription from the vet? Apologies if what I'm suggesting is totally illegal/immoral...

I wonder if it works on Scottish midges...?!

TriTec works on them, for equines.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I wonder if it works on Scottish midges...?!

Flypor looks to be the same as Deosect.

Tritec 14 defo works on Scottish midges, my mildly SI exmoor (rarely rubs himself raw but does rub and has always been rugged up until last year) lived outside rugless last summer and has a full mane and tail again. It kills them on contact.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

https://www.viovet.co.uk/Farnam-Tri-Tec-14-Insecticide/c13711/

Looked up Tritec 14, and it says not to apply it directly to the animals, but to spray it in stables, lorries etc. How do you use it on the horses?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

its not licensed in UK (europe?) for horses so they can't sell it as such. its used a lot in the US -directly onto horses. It is an insecticide so not everyone will want to use it.

 

[HeyMich]

Flypor looks to be the same as Deosect.

Tritec 14 defo works on Scottish midges, my mildly SI exmoor (rarely rubs himself raw but does rub and has always been rugged up until last year) lived outside rugless last summer and has a full mane and tail again. It kills them on contact.

Thanks. What kind of dosage do you use with the Tritec? The Flypor has a recommended dosage quantity for different size animals, as says you only need to reapply once every 3 months, but I can't find anything similar for the TriTec. Presumably as it's not intended for use on the animal...?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

there are instructions that come with the tritec-its just that sellers cannot give out instructions for use on horse. as far as I can remember, you apply the tritec quite liberally, brushing the hair the wrong way and spraying against it. and I think you do it every couple of days at first? so its not cheap initially, but it does build up over time-depending on how much it rains. I was really impressed with it, I had used it in the US years and years ago but hadn't thought about using it here. It meant the fell, who was plagued by horseflies and the exmoor, plagued by midges both had a more comfortable summer. one of my paddocks has a big burn and trees in it-its fly heaven (also get biting birch fly) and they were untouched. the only downside is that they ate more because they weren't bothered

 

[SamBean]

Avon Skin so soft I a really good deterant. I know a lot of walkers who won’t go without it in the summer. People sometimes do use this on their horses too but I wouldn’t reccommend as it is a dry oil spray and could burn! Also if you are prone to burning yourself then disregard this!
I’ve heard good things about deosect diluted and sprayed on the horse

I was going to try Skin so soft on mine this summer but may have a rethink on reading this. I've also heard infusing garlic cloves in feed water will help so this is also something else I will try. I bought a roll on repellent last year and it didn't seem to work at all.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I'd recommend a small bottle first-then you can patch test and see whether or not you rate it. suuplementsolutions are about the best price that I've found.

I'm in two minds to see if Deosect is as effective this year.

 

[SpotsandBays]

I was going to try Skin so soft on mine this summer but may have a rethink on reading this. I've also heard infusing garlic cloves in feed water will help so this is also something else I will try. I bought a roll on repellent last year and it didn't seem to work at all.

I imagine if you diluted it in some water (you might need to add a drop of fairy liquid to help the oil dispurse through it) it might work? But I’m still wary of it. I tend to just use a cheap fry spray, the white bottle with the green writing on it and then fly mask my lot. I don’t use anything on myself as I don’t react to bites

 

[HeyMich]

Avon SSS is used regularly up here by people, but not so much by animals. I think it works more as an oily barrier on the skin than as a repellent. The local fishing tackle shops stock it, so that tells you all you need to know!

I imagine that if you used it too much on horses, their tack might slip off...

 

[Red-1]

I have used Tri Tec on myself and my horse and had no issues. I just spray it on all over with a trigger spray. I spray the stable too.

 

[Carrottom]

The problem I had with Deosect was the volume you have to spray on the horse. IIRC it was 50:1 dilution with meant 500ml to spray on the horse. Although I patch tested it did make one horse temporarily itchy.

 

[Walnuts]

My feeling after reading these helpful replies.....thank you.....is buy a load of Tritec👍

 

[Nasicus]

The problem I had with Deosect was the volume you have to spray on the horse. IIRC it was 50:1 dilution with meant 500ml to spray on the horse. Although I patch tested it did make one horse temporarily itchy.

If you use a pressure sprayer, you'll munch though 500ml in no time and really soak the horse through. I like to use whatever I've made up in one go, and then rinse the bottle and sprayer head out to stop it breaking the plastic down.