Here We Go Again, Bot Flies

[buzyizzy]

We've done well this year, only had one or two in the field, but my poor chap was terrorised by one yesterday lunchtime. We are assuming it was that as he was cantering around his field (we have a track system) for half an hour(( The weather was extremely humid and he's dropped a fair bit of weight. Landlord and lady who are the best we could have wished for, may not have a clue about horses, but they are big hearted and caring and wondered what had upset him. They watched him closely, but said that quite suddenly, he quietened down and was back to his normal self. Needless to say, his field mate joined in for a bit, then went back to grazing.
And don't believe the story about them not going near greys either, he's an Appaloosa X ID so they don't come much greyer than him(( I brought them in for an hour tonight to have some peace and ad lib hay. Needless to say, he was starving (. Hate flies, especially bots as there's not a lot I can do to help him.
Whilst I don't want to wish the summer away, roll on the first frost!!!
Anyone else's horses the same?

 

[DTV]

Any eggs?.The grey thing is a myth.My new lad (grey IDx) was being harassed by a couple the other week.Good dose of Power Phaser saw them off but had to spend 15 mins with the bot knife after.Just keep the likely areas topped with fly spray.Not warm enough down here now (Cornwall) for them.Poss a hornet though?.Been lots of those this summer.

 

[PonyclubmumZ]

We have bots too, but oddly only in one field. Its very weird. I have found that nothing, fly repellant wise, helps; I just dash out with a headcollar and rolled up newspaper. Catch the pony and beat the hell out of the fly. Our ponies have become amazing tolerant to my antics!!

 

[Pedantic]

This year is the first time in 12 years of ownership I have experienced bot fly eggs, took ages to get them off.

 

[Sprout]

I get them here and they drive my horses crazy! Will have to get busy with the Bot knife again .... on the grey too ...... flaming things!
Always surprises me that my boys can tolerate the hideous Crab Flies under their tails, but its the Bots that send them trotting round and round the field!

 

[Crackerz]

We don't get many bot flies at our yard compared to previous places, we are terrorised by horse flies for a few months a year though

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

This year is the first time in 12 years of ownership I have experienced bot fly eggs, took ages to get them off.

Me too! We used to get them a lot in bygone years: yes total myth about greys too, I remember scraping off bot eggs before school (a LONG long time ago when dinosaurs still walked the earth).

I discovered a handy little piece of kit to get the poxy things off with - a disposable razor blade!! Does the job nicely.