OMG HORSE FLIES!!!!!!

princessa81 said:
I have been purchasing all kinds of fly repellent like it has been going out of fashion!!!
Please can anyone give me tips on what to use? My horse lives out and wont wear a fly sheet as he loves to rip it off on the fence post at any given opportunity! my mum was in india and brought back odomus cream(with deet). She was in the jungle and said it worked a treat...but i dont know how effective against the dreaded cleg/horsefly?

Thanks
Elizabeth

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Flypor you can buy it but its v expensive. I got some from vets who informed us its the only thing that works.Wear gloves and dont get it near sensitive skin. I just dabbed it on. I think its used as a drench for cattle(broth in law farmer said they use to pour it on cattles backs) but I dabbed for horse. Its quite nasty stuff but it does work.
 
We tried Deosect yesterday on my friend's horses. Its meant to remain active for one month or two weeks in cases of sweet itch. First time they've used it but looks promising so far.
They got a good wash down and groom than when clean and dry were sprayed and sponged with the 'stuff' .they had a cloud of flies around them when we started but once done there was not a fly in sight. They returned happy and smelling beautiful to their field. They must have really appreciated it as not one if the 5 rolled in the mud. :D fingers crossed no more flies.
 
I got so fed up with clegs and not knowing exactly which species it is I caught one last year and went up to the Natural History museum with it.The girl there put it under a micro scope for me to have a look at, evil little blighters, the jaws of the female up close and personal look like a couple of chain saws which they literally hack into your skin with.
I don't react to them when they bite me, which isn't often, they don't like the taste!

They just annoy me flying round all the time when out dog walking.I splat them which on a white shirt is not a good diea as I come home covered in red blots.
They are after the protein in your blood and as someone else said, it's only the females that bite you, they need protein to help them lay their eggs.
There dozens of species of horse fly in the UK, some as large as an inch long, now I wouldn't like to meet that one!
Oz
 
According to my TB, the best thing that works on horse flies- is me! If one lands on her, she comes over to me and I splat the bugger!

She hates sprays, so I got some NAF citronella gel for them this year- not sure if it's any good yet as only just used it for the first time today.

I used to make up my own, using a combination of the recipes on a thread on here, which did help with the horse flies, might have to make it up again, if I can remember it!
 
princessa81 said:
FOXHUNTER where do I get neem oil from?

Thanks

Elizabeth
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Google Neem Team (Serendipity Herbs) They are very good and fast service.

As for Flypot it contains permethrin which is why you have to wear protective clothing. It has a withdrawal period for animals going for meat so, has to be pretty toxic.

You may well follow all the instructions for application but, once applied you remove gloves and pet and groom your horse.
 
They're whoppers our way and drawing blood,dam vampires,and some of the horses have swollen eyes.I managed to find some deosect and hope this works.Where were all those dam fly's before the sun emerged?,it's as if they have appeared overnight.
 
We're surrounded by forest so have terrible flies - splatted one this morning that was almost an inch long, it gave me the creeps.

Currently using Barrier Super Plus spray, but it only seems effective (especially) on the legs if I drench the old boy in it by applying it with my hand, rather than spraying it on.

Have just ordered some Biteback Neem spray as a trial, if it works I'll make up some myself using the oil.
 
Hmmm... well I'm glad other folk have noticed that SSS doesn't work anymore! I was confused yesterday as I got my blood sucked on my arms whilst riding despite coating myself in SSS - GUTTED!
 
I hate the blinking horse flies.They always bothered my cob (one who has been stolen) and never attacked my section A pony.now I have another cob which im buying and the bloody horse flies are really bugging him.So I am using "Carr and Day" citronella gel and the flies dont like it much.
If I ever find my other cob he will be wearing a fly rug.
 
I'm using the tritec 14 at the moment, bought it because i was recommended it to get rid of crab flies (which it did!!) seems to be quite good so far:)

as an aside i rarely get bitten , i've often wondered if it's anything to do with the amount of antihistamines i take, perhaps they make me taste horrible:confused:
 
I am allergic to their bites, I have two bites at the moment which have swollen up really bad. One bite on my leg last week turned the whole of the back of my thigh black and purple, I couldn't sit down properly for a few days as it hurt so much. Horrible things.
 
Giving my thin skinned horse hell but not really bothering with my section a's.

Amigo mio is giving me the most jip, having previously been very useful this one slides back constantly :( All her other rugs are amigo but this one is just dire.

Going to try some of the fly sprays on here because I think the rug is going to end up in the bin :rolleyes:
 
Horse flies hunt by sight and not smell so sprays have little effect. They are attracted to dark colours ( I have a large black horse who is always beseiged by them. A fly rug will disguise a dark horse slightly as well as making it harder for them to bite - they bite and lap blood, not suck by piercing the skin and sucking like a mossie. Taking the horse in the stable makes it hard for them to see them hence why they don't come in - less contrast. I did look into it as my horse is so attractive to them. There is a big black ball fly trap they use in America - they are quite expensive and I'm not sure it would deal with the numbers.
 
At the risk of calling down the wrath of the fly - I have not seen any this year !
Howwver, I found a product called Effol very good in the past. Its about £13 a bottle though.
 
Can't help you I'm afraid but I got stung three times by the same horsefly the other day - the areas affected became completely swollen and have scarred! I'm always eaten by gnats/mosquitoes and never have I scarred before...not sure what these critters do but I sure as hell need to find something that works against them before I get shiny silver dots all over me!
 
hoggedmane said:
Horse flies hunt by sight and not smell so sprays have little effect. They are attracted to dark colours ( I have a large black horse who is always beseiged by them. A fly rug will disguise a dark horse slightly as well as making it harder for them to bite - they bite and lap blood, not suck by piercing the skin and sucking like a mossie. Taking the horse in the stable makes it hard for them to see them hence why they don't come in - less contrast. I did look into it as my horse is so attractive to them. There is a big black ball fly trap they use in America - they are quite expensive and I'm not sure it would deal with the numbers.
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With a little imagination you could probably make one

http://www.horsepal.info/images.html

they seem a good idea and environmentally friendly as well as low maintenance
 
Tritec 14 - available from Horse Health and also Flecton (sp?) tags - got them from the vet, both things seem to help, but the best thing that's worked for my horse is being inside! He also has a sweet itch hoody - much stronger that your average fly rug :-)
 
princessa81 said:
I have been purchasing all kinds of fly repellent like it has been going out of fashion!!!
Please can anyone give me tips on what to use? My horse lives out and wont wear a fly sheet as he loves to rip it off on the fence post at any given opportunity! my mum was in india and brought back odomus cream(with deet). She was in the jungle and said it worked a treat...but i dont know how effective against the dreaded cleg/horsefly?

Thanks
Elizabeth

x[/QUOTE

I've read that horse flies use sight mainly to find their prey so no repellent works well on them. best thing is to stable them during day and ride v.early morning or late evening. I use Biteback neem for other flies when I'm riding but it doesn't have much effect on horse flies - mores the pity!]
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Powerphaser is the only thing I have found that works, but it only works for a limited time.

I keep mine in during the day now and out about 5/6pm. There are still horseflies around, but I reckon he can tolerate it for a few hours.

The TB in the herd however, is camped by the gate, and the TB I had used to gallop himself senseless to get away.

Flyrugs helped him, and my appy goes out at night with a fly rug and a fly mask.

Powerphaser for riding, but I also ride very early in the morning, leave yard at about 6.15/6.30am.
 
Yeah you need a good swatter to kill horseflies. I bring mine in during day. If it isn't raining, we have flies to deal with.... Grrrrr!

For all the other pests I use SSS but sad to hear they have changed formula. How silly. Also, I treat with coopers once a month. I'm afraid I don't have experience of fly rugs.
 
Just bought cattle ear tags for £2.85 and they last 5 months. These have premitherin in them, are clear and flexible and will see how they go plaited into mane.:)
 
Achinghips said:
Just bought cattle ear tags for £2.85 and they last 5 months. These have premitherin in them, are clear and flexible and will see how they go plaited into mane.:)
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Um, there's another thread on here about fly tags and you won't do any good (apparently) if you just plait them into the mane, they have to TOUCH the horse's coat. Best thing is to fix them INSIDE a headcollar (as opposed to just hanging down), one each side, and then they will work their way into the horse's coat and do their job.

But "Alec Swan" on here is the expert - I'm only re-hashing what he's said - so maybe worth PM'ing him??

Sorry forgot to say that if you feed in "Flectron Fly tags" on HHO it should come up.
 
just done this exercise myself and have been told by many to by Coopers Fly Repellant plus Expensive. Got some today and applied - ill keep you posted. Cant use fly sheets as they come in soaked anyway a rug would kill them!
 
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