No Bots this year?

[0ldmare]

It occurred to me today that my horses haven't been driven crazy with Bot flies this year. Not a single egg! Wonderful!! But I'm just curious, has anyone else found the same?

 

[AmyMay]

Have seen just the one. But the horses are showing evidence of the little bastards!

 

[Amaretto]

Until you brought this to my attention I hadn't thought about it - no bots flies on my horsey either!

 

[samstar]

now you've mentioned it no I haven't come across any eggs, but there maybe time yet as the wasps have only really just appeared now

 

[Irishcobs]

I haven't seen any but the horses at work have been coming in with eggs. Mine are usually plagued with them but I haven't seen a single egg yet.

 

[MrsMozart]

Was just thinking that yesterday when brushing ned's legs

. So far have hardly seen any wasps or bees either.

 

[Chico Mio]

Mine have a few, but not loads like my friend's last year.

 

[lauraandjack]

We haven't seen any around the yard and the horses haven't had any eggs, but the last week we have been taking the horses to a better field about 2 miles away, and they are coming back covered. Bizarre.

 

[Sprout]

Sadly, mine are being driven insane by loads!

Usually I only notice the eggs on their front legs, easily removed by a Bott knife, but this year, one of mine also has them all through his beautiful , long, flowing mane!

 

[Nailed]

HUm.. we must jus tbe unlucky.. We definatly have a bot fly presence!

Lou x

 

[devilwoman]

Nope none for us - i'm in the South East and only commented on it the other day that we haven't had any.

 

[TS_]

We've had them bad this year, this is the first year I've ever really had them.

 

[LOZHUG]

Same here sprout!

My lad has them on his legs and mane this year too

.

He was running round like a nutter last week as one was chasing him

, ended up brining him in for a bit.

 

[popsicle]

Not many, but plenty of mushrooms

 

[merlinsquest]

Never had to take any off before...... fair few this year.....

OP Please stop sending your bloody bot flies to me

 

[NeilM]

Seen three flies, pestering the horses in the field and managed to swat and squash all three.

Almost no eggs (so far), but I do know they are about, as a friends black cob had eggs on him yesterday.

We have quite a few Swallows flying in our fields that seem to be enjoying the horse flies, maybe they like bott flies too....or maybe not

Plenty of wasps about though

 

[hadfos]

Some of ours have been driven mad and some havnt,this yr up here has been shocking for Horse flies,Bot flies and Wasps

(the wasps have driven me mad,lol

)
Some horses have alot of bot eggs and others have none,my lad hasnt had any for a good few yrs now

 

[cokelly]

Nope none at all here

 

[miss_bird]

Only had one bot fly so far this year and i managed to splat it with pleasure, after it had managed to lay dozens of eggs, but it wont be laying anymore

 

[Swift08]

Pharaoh has had very little eggs on him (about 10 in the last month!) but a pony who is in the same field is covered in them, we spent half an hour taking them off him and he still had loads left! It's very odd as pharaoh is usually covered in eggs too and i normally see some bot flies.

 

[Archangel]

No bot eggs at all this year. Odd. Perhaps they can't get through the swarms of horse flies.

 

[dozzie]

I can send you some if you want!

 

[Laura6544]

I was only thinking about this the other day, we normally have a de bott egging session at least twice per year but nothing yet, very odd.

 

[indiat]

We're in Somerset and I only just found some bot eggs on my mares legs at the weekend. When we lived in Ireland she always looked as if she had yellow freckles.

 

[TGM]

I have definitely noticed a decrease in bot flies over the last few years - haven't seen any here this year. I wondered if it is linked to the wide use of Ivermectin-based wormers?

 

[kellyeaton]

ya your right touch would my two have not had any bots eggs this year but my friends have that are in different fields to me!

 

[Persephone]

I haven't seen any since I moved to my new yard. That's 3 years now!

 

[miss_c]

I had none last year, but this year Genie's had a load.

 

[EquestrianType]

We moved to new grazing last year -2horses-the two fields we had were plagued by bloody bot fly.
New place 10miles away and not one -west Somerset-fingers crossed.

 

[yethersgill]

This is the first time in 3 years we have had any

just one batch luckily but all 7 ponies had them on their forelegs.