Neem oil fly spray?

[sparky1981]

does anyone use this!does it work against horse flies?i have Avon skin so soft too and am wondering if I can make a good fly spray using both?any ideas?

 

[Jane_Lou]

I use Pure Neem oil it with citronella and Tee tree oil to make a spray (100ml Neem, 10 ml Citronella and 2 ml tee tree with 100ml shampoo base, made up to 1 litre with 1 Tbs cider vinegar, 1 tbs meths and the balance of water. I find this brilliant with midges but we don't have a lot of horse flies around. Smells bad enough to keep anything off I reckon!

 

[sparky1981]

Thank you really helpful

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I'm another who mixes up their own as the shop ones are frankly no better than gnats-p!ss: I tend to use an empty "proper fly spray" container and then mix in stuff like Cider Vinegar, Cold Tea, half a teaspoonfull of handsoap, then chuck in some Neem (and/or Citronella, Lavendar oil, Tea Tree etc) ......... and hey presto.

Cheap and cheerful and economic enough to use liberally on both self and horse as needed! Plus if you've got a handy little aerosol container you could always put a saddlebag on and take some with you in case of fly/midge attack.

 

[benz]

Neem is great against midges but I have found for horse flies the only option is deet unfortunately. I honestly have never found a natural remedy against horseflies, if you do please let me know!

 

[Ali2]

Sprays won't work against horseflies unless they kill them on contact. Horseflies hunt by sight, heat and movement. If you want to kill them and reduce the population as time goes by you need to make or buy a horsefly trap. One of the best purchases I ever made!

 

[TGM]

Neem is great against midges but I have found for horse flies the only option is deet unfortunately. I honestly have never found a natural remedy against horseflies, if you do please let me know!

I've found the same - neem is good for midges and normal flies, but the bloodsucking horseflies need something stronger. I use Leovet Power Phaser for horseflies - it does stink and you do have to coat them liberally with it, but I have found it an effective deterrent for my horses.

 

[sparky1981]

Thanks everyone. I do have some power phaser but as it stinks so much was worried about it around my baby and 3 year old. They aren't near the horses but if it gets on me. Plus I'm breast feeding I'm sure it's fine it just smells so toxic although neem maybe as bad!

 

[muckypony]

Neat neem oil is the best. I make a spray up that is 1 part neem and 20 parts water (roughly) and a splash of soap/shampoo so that the oil disperses. Great stuff for my SI pony, but yes it stinks! I wear gloves

 

[WelshD]

sorry to hijack - does neem stain white ponies?

To add something useful to the thread Equimins make a neem spray thats supposed to be very good