Fly Control

This information from Colorado State University can help you better understand the flying and biting pests you are fighting.

Insects are pesky for horses and humans alike. Beyond being an annoyance, they can spread diseases. Have you ever wondered what form of control works for other barn owners?

Horse and stable flies are not only nuisances, but they can carry or spread diseases that are bad for you and your horses. There are many ways to manage flies on your farm or stable property.

Research conducted in Sweden, investigated horses' daytime shelter-seeking behavior in relation to weather conditions and insect activity during the summer.

Exerting control over the environment where horses live can go a long way toward keep flies at bay, and it is environmentally friendly. By controlling moisture in the environment as well as airflow, you can make your stable less hospitable to flies.

There are many ways to protect your horses against external parasites, but one of the most common is to use insecticides or repellents on the animal.

Biological insect control has received great acclaim in recent years as a means of avoiding the use of chemicals in the environment. One such “green” strategy is the use of predator wasps to target stable flies and houseflies, which are the majority of flies pestering your horses.

How can you reduce the fly burden on your property? Here are some helpful tips to help you decrease the flies, thus decrease their negative impact on you, your horses and the people around your facility.

With the heat and humidity of summer come an abundance of bugs, including several types of flies, ticks and stinging pests.

If you have horses, you have bugs! They do more than just irritate you and your horse; these insects are responsible for causing a variety of problems.

Insect bite hypersensitivity (bug bite allergy) is a common problem during the summer. Horses with insect bite allergies may have any combination of hives, itchiness, hair loss, and dermatitis.

Horses of yesteryear only had tails and each other to fight flies. The fly control battle today offers many more allies and tools in your arsenal. Here are tips to help.

In part two of our series on fly control, we tackle the pros and cons of parasites and feed-through methods for ridding your barn of flies.

Fly season is upon us, so here are a few tips to get ahead of these pesky critters. This is the first of a two-part series on fly control—stay tuned for feed-through solutions on May 21.