Cheapest way to make fly spray

[kat2290]

I know there are loads of threads already asking for recipes but what I'm wondering is what is the cheapest way to get the ingredients? Things I have so far are cider, teabag's and Avon SSS, but I don't have any essential oils, deet/neem oil...where is the best place to buy these from to keep the costs down?

Also how much do people rate these homemade concoctions? Do they really work or are they never quite as good as the shop bought stuff?

TIA

 

[DragonSlayer]

I made one of the homemade ones, and one of my horses had an allergic reaction! Poor thing was covered in hives, being driven nuts!! didn't last long though, we kept washing her with soothing cool wash and that seemed to work!

Never again........!

Bad mummy.....

 

[GeorgeyGal]

I was wondering this myself. I have a bottle of apple cider vinegar going to waste, thought about using this, any thoughts?

 

[kat2290]

Oh really? Poor pony! It is a bit of a gamble isn't it, buying all these ingredients without knowing if the end product is actually going to work. By the time I've bought at the essential oils it will probably work out quite expensive

 

[Fransurrey]

I buy 1L bottles of benzyl benzoate (20 %) and split this between two 1L bottles. I then add 100ml of warmed neem oil to each bottle and top up with water. Ok, it's not a spray, but slowly, others on the yard are noticing that my mare is the only one not tail swishing when she has it on. One even had to borrow some as her gelding was going bonkers due to belly fly trouble. You could I suppose add the warm neem oil to water and shake each time. Never tried it! Or dliute the BB further...it's £13.49 I think, from Hyperdrug.

Cheapest place for neem is Spices of India. They sell it in 100ml bottles for £1.20 each, so it's convenient for me - one bottle per 1L 10 % BB. I buy lots of Indian food at the same time, once a year!

GG, I'd be wary about apple cider vinegar - wouldn't it attract wasps??