Harvest mites

[expanding_horizon]

Anyone found a solution for harvest mites? Horse has lumps on face and lower leg. And I’ve lots of tiny bites. Horse doesn’t have feather but it stamping a bit.

 

[sport horse]

Ask your vet about Dectomax injections.

 

[lialls]

I use Spot on Flea spray (for dogs) on my horse. Stray it on her legs every couple of weeks. Seems to be the only thing that works for me.

 

[SEL]

As well as spot on I will give antihistamines if they're really itching. I can't walk through long grass in shorts right now or my legs are bitten to pieces - and they really itch!

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

I used front line spot on for dogs on my cob, he was going mad itching but after trying alsorts of washes and potions to kill or repel them none of which worked then I tried the spot on and he hasn't itched since. I just got a 4 pack of the spot on for small dogs and put one on each leg under his fetlock.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I hate them so so much! I have a very old pony who's particularly irritated by them. They drive him nuts. His little face is bleeding and scabby and his legs are chewed.
I've tried dectomax, and front line and spot on's
I do think maybe i try too much! apparently the bite itch cycle can be 10 days, so in theory you'd have to try some thing for over 10 days religiously to see if it really worked. I quite like sulphur powder dusted liberally onto legs and use a sulpher cream on the face.
Diatomaceous earth dusted on is also good, neem oil? stinks and is disgusting but seems to help. I have to de-mite every other day at least to keep half on top of them.

 

[poiuytrewq]

ewalia.com is quite a good site which actually aknowledges horses get harvest mites not just feather mite!

 

[expanding_horizon]

My vet said frontline and mite injections are not suited to harvest mites and don’t work.

Vet said try deosect spray as repellent.

 

[expanding_horizon]

I've tried dectomax, and spot on's

My vet today said those won’t help with harvest mites as don’t live on skin unlike other mites.

 

[Gloi]

Neem would be my first try

 

[poiuytrewq]

My vet today said those won’t help with harvest mites as don’t live on skin unlike other mites.

I agree! They don’t, I had to give it a try though.
They may not live on skin but mine are coming in with them on their heads.
Visibly sometimes in little clusters
Current horse has black skin and I can see them sitting in the nostril creases and where the hair is thinnest. Sometimes right round his eye lids

 

[LittleLegs&Co]

We have a nightmare every year with harvest mites! I've just started (past 2-3 weeks) using biteback products and have found that really helps to at least soothe the itching (gone from a pony that would come in and spend half an hour or so trying to destroy both their stable and themselves, to now one who will come in and go straight to his haynet - the relief is almost instant) It's really helped the scabby bits from the bites on his feet and face, and has also been helpful for sweetitch on his mane and tail

 

[poiuytrewq]

We have a nightmare every year with harvest mites! I've just started (past 2-3 weeks) using biteback products and have found that really helps to at least soothe the itching (gone from a pony that would come in and spend half an hour or so trying to destroy both their stable and themselves, to now one who will come in and go straight to his haynet - the relief is almost instant) It's really helped the scabby bits from the bites on his feet and face, and has also been helpful for sweetitch on his mane and tail

Which do you use?

 

[LittleLegs&Co]

I use the standard Sweet Relief cream mainly, I think it's the strongest one they do. I've also got a pot of the sweet relief silver for any actual sore/raw spots, it also definitely helps to soothe and seems to help with healing as much as anything else I've tried. I have got a pot of the sweet sun relief, that's much thicker/whiter and feels more like sudocrem (once it's on it stays on! I'm not a fan of sudocrem because of the residue it leaves but thought it might be useful for my youngster who has some pink skin)