Midges, midges and more midges

[Bayracer]

Has anyone else had sworms of midges the past couple of days?
I seems like the moment we have had a dry couple of days all the midges have come to play.
I turned my boy out early hours naked ( the horse not me!!) and come home from work to find him eaten alive covered in bites and clusters of the bloody things over him. I’ve messaged my neighbour (a couple of miles down the lane) and their ponies are the same.
Has anyone else had this? And what are your go to midge repellant??

Thanks

 

[Hobo2]

Yep same down here in Dorset and my friend has same problem in York. Tiny little crawly things horrid for the horses.

 

[spotty_pony2]

Yes they are awful here (Lincolnshire) and I’ve never known them so bad. Mine are in fly masks 24/7 now and two out of three have sweet itch rugs under their turnout rugs. I fly spray at least twice per day and currently have Flymac which is a concentrated spray that you dilute. Its
more cost effective as I use so much of it, it needs to be! I don’t think anything completely stops them.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Yes! Last week I had to cover my mouth and nose with my hand to ride one patch of bridlepath! Insane.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

Mine were covered in midges the other day, I sprayed them with the hedgewich fly spay I got at the end of last summer and then obviously its just rained since so haven't used it. I was amazed that as I sprayed the pony the midges just fell off! I don't know how long it lasts but seeing them falling off brightened up my day

 

[Landcruiser]

Awful here in North Wilts ATM on still mornings and evenings. I have never known them so bad. Literally having to squint to keep them out of my eyes, and often failing. Breathing them in! And I'm covered in bites too.

 

[Jambarissa]

Terrible. I wasn't going to put fly masks on this morning with the rain but as soon as we got to the swampy bit near the gate they were everywhere.

One is in a boett and tritec 14. The other 2 are fly masks plus general spray plus something oil based around teats/sheath and on the whirls on the stomach which always seem to attract flies - currently stinky neem oil.

I also dilute benzoate 1:3 with grapeseed oil and use a bottle with a nozzle to get into the roots of the tail.

Horseflies next

 

[rabatsa]

The sheep were really plagued by them yesterday and looked really miserable. Lots of tail swishing from the equines but they had retreated indoors.

 

[scats]

Yes, we are plagued by them at the moment.

 

[MarvelVillis]

I'm down in the south west by Dartmoor and have to say we haven't had them that bad, but it's making me worry so I'm off to order fly spray and get his rug out of storage asap!

 

[Reacher]

Horseflies next

Do not use the H word!!

 

[Pinkvboots]

Not really midges but tiny flies that are around the horses and round my head and they bite, my forehead was attacked last night when I was lunging.

 

[ponyparty]

Yep got loads by me too. We’re also close to the canal, I wondered if this was causing it, but sounds like they’re bad everywhere due to how wet it’s been.

Just ordered mine a new fly rug as current one was a cheapo one with belly flap and they’re clearly bothering her. I’m getting new bites every time I go up to the yard, pesky things! Might need a fly rug for myself

 

[Nasicus]

I'm down in the south west by Dartmoor and have to say we haven't had them that bad, but it's making me worry so I'm off to order fly spray and get his rug out of storage asap!

They're rife here in Exeter!

 

[ponynutz]

Awful here in both locations (Lancs and North Yorkshire)
I keep accidentally eating them!

 

[Wizpop]

Lots about here in the north too! Horses coming in covered in them

 

[callybbi]

Same here in Essex too. I got bitten on my forehead last night. The horses are more miserable than the worst of the winter!

 

[Marnie]

We've got a lot in Warwickshire and Eric is getting plagued by them. I am a bit wary about putting his fly rug on though as he is still so hairy and I am worried that it will make him more itchy.

 

[dorsetladette]

Yes lots! the horses are getting ratty about them, I'm getting ratty about them. I've increased the protein in my diet quite substantially just by not been able to keep my mouth shut!!

Even in the drizzle last night the horses were plagued by them.

I missed my opportunity while it was dry at the weekend to get spot on on them.

 

[Squeak]

We had loads yesterday so today I've tried what worked last year for them - thick cream (nettex summer cream or sudocreme or udder cream - whatever I happen to have or need to use up) to cover the line on their stomachs that the midges love and then avon skin so soft on the rest of the stomach. It's still relatively mild here so we've got a turnout rather than fly rug on and also a fly mask.

 

[PaulineW]

Yes, loads here in Argyll already- too soon!

 

[ecb89]

We had loads in Essex last weekend. Had to buy a fly rug for my horse who is never bothered by flies.

 

[tda]

Yes, lots here too, the amount of standing water hasn't helped

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

We are in Devon, fairly high up here, but we've still got a swarm of the dreaded critters.

Can't ever remember it being so bad here and I've lived here for 30yrs now.

My old boy had sweet itch and it would have been a nightmare protecting him from it. Pity anyone with a SI horse right now.

 

[HannahB]

Millions here in Gloucestershire, midges covering every inch vaseline in ears (pink!), fly masks, belly neck and inside of legs lathered with whatever fly cream i can get on. Thank goodness bumbles stands there lets me put it on easy this year (nightmare last year) but both ponies still terrified of sprays

 

[irishdraft]

They've been awful here in east Sussex for several weeks, whilst it was really windy they disappeared but now back with a vengeance. I've just turned my horses out 1pm and I can see them kicking at their stomachs so seem to be around all day.

 

[Fransurrey]

Has anyone else had sworms of midges the past couple of days?
I seems like the moment we have had a dry couple of days all the midges have come to play.
I turned my boy out early hours naked ( the horse not me!!) and come home from work to find him eaten alive covered in bites and clusters of the bloody things over him. I’ve messaged my neighbour (a couple of miles down the lane) and their ponies are the same.
Has anyone else had this? And what are your go to midge repellant??

Thanks

Our population exploded last week. Sadly not literally! Luckily I have found a new and excellent supplier of neem oil (the only effective repellant, IMO). I'm making it up as part of my benzyl benzoate concoction (10 % neem, 10 % BB, 7.5 % emulsifying wax). Useful for ticks in awkward places, too. I know it's not ideal to kill them in situ, but there was one on my boy's weiner the other day and he was having none of it with the removal tool, so I dabbed a blob of neem goo on it and it was gone by morning. My sweet itch girl is doing ok with the goo, although as usual, she's not happy having it applied every few days, as it's out to kill her, clearly (can't blame her really, the smell is pretty 'unique'!!).

 

[Nicnac]

Yep awful in West Kent. Bringing in to eat earlier as they are worse from 6-8pm. One hates them and has fly rug on, two aren't so bothered and are naked. Poor shetland comes in covered but has so much coat they don't bother her at all. It's only 7 degrees here today and windy so hopefully won't be as bad tonight.

Mild wet winter is to blame.

 

[moorhillhorses]

Has anyone else had sworms of midges the past couple of days?
I seems like the moment we have had a dry couple of days all the midges have come to play.
I turned my boy out early hours naked ( the horse not me!!) and come home from work to find him eaten alive covered in bites and clusters of the bloody things over him. I’ve messaged my neighbour (a couple of miles down the lane) and their ponies are the same.
Has anyone else had this? And what are your go to midge repellant??

Thanks

It’s been so bad!!! I hate them. I get so itchy too

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

They are dreadful here too. Swarms of the damn things. The ponies wouldn't leave me alone whilst I was trying to poo pick yesterday, shoving different body parts at me to scratch for them.

I suppose we had the drought last time, never ending rain and now swarms of insects.