Dettol as fly repellant

millikins

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 March 2011
Messages
3,895
Visit site
Anyone have any experience? I saw something on FB so thought I'd try it on our old pony who is miserable most of the summer with sweet itch. Keep it controlled to some extent with benzyl benzoate and yellow Summer Fly cream but by Sept she's a mess. She gets too hot in fly rugs and scratches even more.
3 days now being sponged with half strength Dettol and her mane and tail are smooth and her scabby bits are healing.
Are there any drawbacks? If fly control is this easy, why isn't it more well known?
 

Cinnamontoast

Fais pas chier!
Joined
6 July 2010
Messages
35,363
Visit site
Patch test, obviously. My fly spray is Avon Skin so Soft, dettol, lots of different oils topped up with water to a litre.
 

Bertolie

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 August 2011
Messages
1,600
Location
Gloucestershire
Visit site
I just do 50/50 dettol and water. Works as well as most shop bought fly sprays. You can also add TCP to the mix which is said to be very good. Just means you ride out smelling like a hospital 😂
 

ycbm

Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Joined
30 January 2015
Messages
56,552
Visit site
Vinegar alone is just as good as dettol alone, I've found. Vinegar and Dettol together are even better, but be careful, some horses react to it.
 

Goldenstar

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 March 2011
Messages
46,022
Visit site
Dettol and vinegar does work quite well but it does not last long for turnout .
Dettol is an irritant and a 50% solution is very strong I would not chance that on any of my fine skinned horses .
The horse flys are terrible here atm the worse I have ever experianced .
 

ycbm

Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Joined
30 January 2015
Messages
56,552
Visit site
Just a thought. Be careful around cats with dettol as well, it contains phenol and is poisonous to cats.
 

poiuytrewq

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2008
Messages
17,382
Location
Cotswolds
Visit site
Funnily enough i found a bottle of dettol and water from last year when i ran out of fly spray a few weeks ago and used it on my retired horse out in the field. He always gets bites which get a bit scabby under neath and they have cleared up completely. Can only put that down to the dettol? Its not as good as my normal fly spray at as a fly deterrent admittedly but he seems happier because his skin is obviously more comfortable so i use that all the time on the exposed bits and fly spray on his rug and hood.
 

millikins

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 March 2011
Messages
3,895
Visit site
Dettol and vinegar does work quite well but it does not last long for turnout .
Dettol is an irritant and a 50% solution is very strong I would not chance that on any of my fine skinned horses .
The horse flys are terrible here atm the worse I have ever experianced .

So far she seems much happier, but I take your point and am watching closely.
 

Mule

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 October 2016
Messages
7,655
Visit site
This year, I've used a product called spot on. Its a brand name for permethrin. It lasts for a few months and works out very cheap. I should get a couple of summers out of it. It's working so far and it's much less hassle than using fly spray. It's similar to the flea and tick solutions that you get for cats and dogs. I put it at the base of the withers and that's all that needs to be done. It's a very strong insecticide so people who prefer less harsh treatments mightn't like to use it. The horses have tolerated it fine.
 
Top