Crab Flies - thinking ahead

Aimzz

Aimzz

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With the beautiful sunshine we've been blessed with in the South West today, it's got me thinking about spring/summer. I keep my horse on Dartmoor and of course, we get a lot of horse flies. However, we also get crab flies.
Has anyone found ANYTHING that works against these little demons?

Thanks!
 
Gosh I didn’t know they had them on Dartmoor, they weren’t there in the 60’s when I used to pony trek there, I’m sure. They must be increasing their range. How unfortunate! Anyway repellants. Deosect is good though it is quite powerful and I’ve never been too keen on it for that reason. Some people slather their horses in sudocreme, it stops them gripping on. I just use an ordinary fly repellant, and pick and squash when I get back home.
 
I think the first time I met them on the moor was around 2000. Since then they have increased considerably. The worst I got was around 50 in a single ride. That was on a black horse. What fun that was chasing them.

I've never quite got the

sudo/oily surface thing. Does it just get them out of the nether regions so you can catch them. Presumably you don't do the whole horse. What happens with sudo when they sweat in summer.

Aimzz said:
Has anyone found ANYTHING that works against these little demons?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I haven't found anything in the fly spray line that works. Covering up the horse with field rugs and ridden fly rugs seems to be the best getting as much rug coverage as possible. Still doesn't stop the odd little darling sneaking in though. :D:D

ETA there is another thread about crabs. It was in tackroom, yesterday I think
 
Time for Tea said:
Gosh I didn’t know they had them on Dartmoor, they weren’t there in the 60’s when I used to pony trek there, I’m sure. They must be increasing their range. How unfortunate! Anyway repellants. Deosect is good though it is quite powerful and I’ve never been too keen on it for that reason. Some people slather their horses in sudocreme, it stops them gripping on. I just use an ordinary fly repellant, and pick and squash when I get back home.
Click to expand...
Yes, unfortunately they are! Thank you, I'll look into that. They don't appear to come down to my fields as much, but if we hack on the moor, they are a real pain. My friends horse that I was sharing, gets terribly upset by them, and now I have my own horse and she's pretty sensitive, so I dread to think how she'll react to them when ridden!

paddy555 said:
I think the first time I met them on the moor was around 2000. Since then they have increased considerably. The worst I got was around 50 in a single ride. That was on a black horse. What fun that was chasing them.

I've never quite got the


sudo/oily surface thing. Does it just get them out of the nether regions so you can catch them. Presumably you don't do the whole horse. What happens with sudo when they sweat in summer.



I haven't found anything in the fly spray line that works. Covering up the horse with field rugs and ridden fly rugs seems to be the best getting as much rug coverage as possible. Still doesn't stop the odd little darling sneaking in though. :D:D

ETA there is another thread about crabs. It was in tackroom, yesterday I think
Click to expand...

Oh I didn't see that, sorry, new to the forum! But thank you, I'll take a look!
Yeah, maybe I'll invest in a ride-on fly rug!
 
The oily surface thing is because they grip on, and like to gather under the tail or in the underparts, and it stops them gripping. Yes it is pretty hot and annoying in midsummer. TriTec is powerful as mentioned. I don’t use it as it makes me feel ill!
Horses vary, we had an ultra sensitive trotter who had all sorts of skin problems, yet she coped with crab flies. We had a laid back TB that could not cope, he used to turn himself inside out. Then he would be upset, because he was the perfect gentleman type and he knew he hadn’t been. We had to sell him. Such a shame.
 
I found that oily stuff to stop them settling under the tail and between the hind legs meant they kept crawling all over the horse instead of settling down which then made the horse buck. I now keep mine north of the Forest, out of reach of the little horrors.
 
it has taken 3 hours this morning and the assistance of another horse but the first one of the season is now floating in a bucket of water. It was suffocated by cooking oil and finished off by drowning. An excellent mornings work. (Dartmoor)

those with horses who freak with crabs will understand. Most others will think I have just lost the plot 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
 
When you have never experienced a crab fly, I don't think you can envision the carnage that they can cause.

Luckily my horse was turned out alongside the forest, so crab flies are something he had to just get used to. Some horses completely lose their mind.

I used to really enjoy bringing him in and spending ten minutes just picking them off him. Squishing them until they pop. It was really rather therapeutic....
 
FlyingCircus said:
I just let them hitch a ride. All but one of my horses have gotten used to them. The one who didn't I sold out of area.
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sadly one of mine (obviously bound to be the one ridden the most) won't double up as a taxi service for them. :D:D once he gets one he is too freaked to even be a taxi service for me. Aged 20 he is never going to get it.

OTOH my wonderful gorgeous stallion let us get the crab onto him this morning and stood very happily for a long time as I grappled around his nether regions trying to get it out into the open. I cupped the crab in my hand on his side (so scared of losing it) and poured cooking oil onto it. That got the little b*gger.

Jenko109 said:
When you have never experienced a crab fly, I don't think you can envision the carnage that they can cause.
Click to expand...


this a million times over :D
 
They are quite remarkable really.

You can flatten them and they will just bounce back up, completely unharmed.

You have to really squeeze them hard to kill them.
 
asmp said:
After all your comments above I tried to google an image of one but got loads of fishing flies in the shape of a crab!
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I did too on my first attempt. Try crab flies on horses and you should have better luck.
 
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