Avoiding dreaded flies

[Dubsie]

For me, I am a fly magnet, I shall once again buy Incognito repellent (black bottle, Sainsburys stock it). Really does keep them away.
For the horses, last year I bought a bucket and a tub of this: https://sticky-trap.co.uk/ - you hang the bucket from a tree or pole, paste the bucket with this sticky glue, the flies think the bucket is a horse and go and get stuck on.
We had almost zero biting flies at the yard because I bought loads more buckets.

 

[Brownmare]

For the horses I just use the Rambo sweet itch hoodies but for me.... well, I used to come up in huge reactions to horsefly bites and I was a magnet for every flying biting insect in the vicinity! Then I started taking a liquid vitamin B12 supplement and I get no more bites than the average person and no huge reactions!

 

[SamBean]

BM how much do you take a day? I seem to be a magnet too and anything is worth a try. My husband takes malt extract daily and seems to be immune but I can't stand it!

 

[mandyroberts]

Take antihistamine tablets all through the fly season, it will help prevent your reaction to bites and have the hydrocortisone cream available for when you do get bitten.

 

[TPO]

Both my QH and I are magnets for biting things and both very allergic/reactive. Both of us doped up on antihistamines Spring - Autumn...even seeing some flies out now with the mild weather

I bought tri-tec but was too scared to use it on him because of how strong it was. I was on a run down yard at the start of last summer (long story) and the midgies were worse inside than out (yard insisted they had to come in at night year round). He had to wear a sheet indoors to protect him so I'd spray that and his stable with tritec.

He'd usually wear a fly sheet but last summer was so hot he was melting under it. I bought the Aussie allrounder sheet and that seemed to keep him a bit cooler and still protected.

I found neem to work the best on him. I don't think it's a deterrent on it's own but it's a protective barrier that the nasties can't bite through. I found the PRo-Equine Neem fly spray the best BUT it does clog up the spray bottles very easily and is a massive pain that way. I also lathered on neem cream and bought neem shampoo.

ETA: I just received a thick catalogue from Kramer and they have the biggest selection of fly rugs I've even seen (heaven!). They have every arrangement imaginable and they have some very interesting ride on versions with lots of fringing. I haven't studied it properly but it's on my "to do" list

 

[Brownmare]

BM how much do you take a day? I seem to be a magnet too and anything is worth a try. My husband takes malt extract daily and seems to be immune but I can't stand it!

I take 3000mcg which is 1ml of the brand I use. Get one containing methylcobalamin which is better absorbed than cyanocobalamin and hold it under your tongue for 30 sec before swallowing and it will be absorbed straight into the bloodstream (a huge percentage of women are unable to absorb dietary B12 in the stomach)

 

[SamBean]

Thanks BM, I'll have a look and see what I can find.

Unfortunately MandyRoberts I already take antihistamines from spring as also have hayfever, was taking 3 a day last year! Fortunately my husband is amazing and fills nets up for me otherwise I'd be taking them all year.