crab flies

[Ibblebibble]

I've done a quick search and there has been a previous suggestion of using frontline spray to get rid of the vile little critters, but no feedback to whether it works or if there is some other magic spray/solution that will render them dead!
Picked a pony up from the New Forest today for a friend and he's got crab flies (pony not friend!!) keeping him well separate from mine until we can sort them as although he is not bothered in the slightest i have a feeling mine will go into orbit if one gets on them, (and so will i as they are creepy)

Any suggestions or is frontline the way to go?

 

[Piglet]

Waiting with bated breath as I have just moved my horse to an area where they are in abundance, even on the dogs!!

 

[sue_nf]

We are in the New Forest and I've never heard of Frontline as working against crab flies, I'd be interested to hear from other locals as all we do is fly rug/ fly mask /fly spray and hope these horrid things have a short season. It would be fab to find a solution.

 

[paddy555]

we pick up quite a few out riding and just kill them. Just run your hand over the pony and they run out (they are fond if living around the sheath and inside top of the hind legs)
Once they run out put your hand over them, scoop them up and either put your closed hand along with crab fly in a bucket of water or scrunch the crab fly. Swatting them doesn't work, you have to really squash them to kill them.

We check ours over each time we come back from riding.

I cannot think a spray will work as you have to find them (the hard part) to spray them. If you locate one then it is just as quick to kill it. Not a major problem. Our record was nearly 40 on the day we rode in a really bad area.

 

[paddy555]

and we are in Devon as well Piglet.

 

[sonjafoers]

We are inundated at the moment, getting roughly 30 off each girl every day, and the only way to kill them is to squash them and make sure they are thoroughly squashed. They can survive a bit of a flattening so be warned!

Nothing deters them, it really doesn't, not even Frontline. I was using the Naf citronella fly tags for a few weeks tied into mines tails and these seemed to knock them out a bit. It certainly didn't deter them but it made them easier to catch almost as if they were high on the fumes. I've given up on the tags now though as they are marketed as lasting 4 - 6 weeks and mine lasted about 10 days so with 2 horses it works out quite expensive.

 

[katie_southwest]

Nothing gets rid of them!!! If someone invented something they would be rich

You have to crush them with your nails, which I still cant bring myself to do after 5 years of experiencing them!

 

[Ibblebibble]

oh poo, lol, i was hoping you weren't going to say that, they give me the heebiejeebies the way they move so having to physically catch them to kill them is going to involve me squealing and dancing like a demented thing

 

[katie_southwest]

oh poo, lol, i was hoping you weren't going to say that, they give me the heebiejeebies the way they move so having to physically catch them to kill them is going to involve me squealing and dancing like a demented thing

I tried the other day to man up (or woman up) and kill them, I literally stood there for about 10 minutes psyching myself up and in the end gave up and led her home she was in such a state with them all over her

 

[gingerarab]

What are crab flies ??

 

[m3gan]

I've done a quick search and there has been a previous suggestion of using frontline spray to get rid of the vile little critters, but no feedback to whether it works or if there is some other magic spray/solution that will render them dead!
Picked a pony up from the New Forest today for a friend and he's got crab flies (pony not friend!!) keeping him well separate from mine until we can sort them as although he is not bothered in the slightest i have a feeling mine will go into orbit if one gets on them, (and so will i as they are creepy)

Any suggestions or is frontline the way to go?

I tried Frontline, just spraying the inside of the legs and under the tail, and in-between the ears and it didn't make any difference, sadly, now £37 worse off for the frontline spray!!!!!!

As others have said the only way to kill them is to squash 'em with your nails, or stamp on the critters; favourite hiding place is under the tail or around the sheath .....They can also fly about 5ft .

 

[onlytheponely]

I lived 37 years in the New Forest and never came across anything that worked.
Loved the satisfaction of catching them and cracking them between my thumb nails though
Always used to feel incredibly sorry for the horses and ponies that came from outside the area to the New Forest show as it would send alot of them completely crazy in the show ring.
I certainly don't miss them but had to move to France to get shot of them!

 

[Ibblebibble]

ok , is there anything that slows them down so we can catch them?? anyone got a haz mat suit i can borrow??

 

[graff88]

Hi Guys,
I have just registered tonight so I can reply to this thread. I live in the South of France and these flies are terrible here but there are products that work although I'm not sure how readily available they are in UK. I have used Tri- tech 14 which works and is available although doesn't last as long as the other products. We also use something called Ectotrine or Versatrine which we buy from the vets- you apply 10mls down their back and it normally lasts for up to 6 weeks. Butox is the same but also doesn't last as long. As an interim measure I have found baby oil under the tail and round sheath area works quite well .. although be prepared for a mad few minutes once you upset them as they will run down their legs and drive horse crazy- after that they will settle down and the flies can't stick.. For any other info google "mouche plats" as that is what they are called here and lots of us expats are always asking for advice about them!

Hope that helps a bit

 

[scrat]

I find that putting a blob of sudocrem or vasaline on your fingers makes them easier to catch as they stick to it and can't fly off........... then you can crush them. You could try applying a fly cream quite thickly under the tail and between the back legs etc as these are favoured areas for them to hide.

 

[redheadkelj]

They are slow moving as far as flies go. Easy to catch once you've had some practice! Just don't let them bite you! My whole friend got bitten by one and her whole arm swelled up! It's quite rare for them to do it but she was in a lot of pain!

 

[Ibblebibble]

Hi Guys,
I have just registered tonight so I can reply to this thread. I live in the South of France and these flies are terrible here but there are products that work although I'm not sure how readily available they are in UK. I have used Tri- tech 14 which works and is available although doesn't last as long as the other products. We also use something called Ectotrine or Versatrine which we buy from the vets- you apply 10mls down their back and it normally lasts for up to 6 weeks. Butox is the same but also doesn't last as long. As an interim measure I have found baby oil under the tail and round sheath area works quite well .. although be prepared for a mad few minutes once you upset them as they will run down their legs and drive horse crazy- after that they will settle down and the flies can't stick.. For any other info google "mouche plats" as that is what they are called here and lots of us expats are always asking for advice about them!

Hope that helps a bit

thank you, thank you, thank you, googling these products now to see what we can get, tri-tec is available over here and it will be the best £20 ever spent!!!

 

[meesha]

We get the occasional one on our horses. But, the worse was last year when I got one in my hair !! Asked oh to get it out but he denied anything was there, drove me mad had to get straight in shower and it washed out with conditioner, Yuck Yuck Yuck

 

[SpruceRI]

Years ago I bought a couple of New Forest foals from the sales and they came bearing these things. I didn't know what they were but my farrier did as his sister lives in the New Forest.

She said the best method was to catch them individually and crush them between finger and thumb, and they took some crushing too!!

The crab flies transferred to my other ponies and they went absolutely MAD. My shetland who is bothered by very little, ran up and down, up and down the paddock in a frenzy until I thought he was going to have a heart attack. A friend and I managed to 'bundle him' to a halt between us and squash him into a corner of the field to remove the offending bug, and it was only 1, whereas the foals were bearing many each!

Once the Newfies were 'handleable', I attempted to clip their hairy undersides so I could see the bugs, but they weren't keen on that, I think I even tried vacuuming the bugs up! One foal liked that, but the other didn't - so it remained to pick them off my hand.

Horrible critters !!