Fly Control

[TuffyLynn]

hi guys! here in massachusetts...just entering black fly season or what some call may flies.... of course then there are dear flies, you know...the usual bunch of annoying bugs....

thought i would put it out there..

what fly repellant worksbest for your minis....

THANKS for looking.....

 

[CrescentMinis]

Fly predators!!!! Tiny parasitic wasps (they are almost invisible and only go after fly pupae) that prevent flies from hatching and multiplying. This is our first year using them, and it hasn't warmed up yet to where we usually start seeing many flies, but so far NONE!! I ordered them online, about 15.00 a month. I *hope* this will make chemical fly repellents unnecessary this year.

 

[mama 'n me minis]

We have had great results with feed thru fly control. The tub is a bit expensive looking at first, around $55.00. However, my tub lasts almost 2 seasons and I feed around 6 minis. I used the fly predators but seemed to have better results with the feed thru. I bet there would not be a fly around if I used both!

 

[nbark]

I too am in Mass and I use Equisport for the ticks and Repelx for the rest of the insect world, they both work great, and I am smack in the middle of Lyme disease ville, Ipswich. They do all the testing for these things right here because Ipswich has the greatest number of Lyme cases in the country. We also get the greenheads and the September biting house flies, but my minis are never bothered by them.

 

[Millstone Farm]

We use a combination of Solitude (feed thru' fly preventitive), Fly predators and equispot (for the no-see 'ems) and have ZERO flies - even in the dead of summer!

the equispot works great on an older horse who has horrible allergies to the no gnats. without it, he rubs himself raw. the nice thing about the equispot is, you only need to apply it every 2 weeks. it also repels ticks.

 

[whimsical]

We use the fly predators also. I swear by them. And have convienced some of my meighbors to do it too. And I think that is the key. If there are others right by you with animals then they will go to their land too. So I buy extra bugs to cover my bases.

Also you have to keep in mind that what will kill a fly will kill the predators. So I wouldn't recommend doing this with other methods.

When used faithfully the whole season we see very few flies. Before them we were the fly capitol (or so it seemed)

So good luck with your search!

 

[wildoak]

I use the fly predators in one barn that currently houses 7 geldings, and it seems to work well. Our main barn has a fly spray system that I rely on - can always tell when it's out of spray, flies are immediately worse! Downside to it of course is living with the chemicals, not supposed to be harmful (and what I get now is honeysuckle scented

). For spot spraying on the horses I use Endure. Have used the feed through years ago when I just had a few horses and it worked well too.

Jan

 

[Mr.T]

Fly predators!!!! Tiny parasitic wasps (they are almost invisible and only go after fly pupae) that prevent flies from hatching and multiplying. This is our first year using them, and it hasn't warmed up yet to where we usually start seeing many flies, but so far NONE!! I ordered them online, about 15.00 a month. I *hope* this will make chemical fly repellents unnecessary this year.

Fly Predators work SO WELL! My mom trains and races horses at Plainridge Racetrack (standardbreds) in Plainville, MA. The track itself uses these predators, and you NEVER see a fly! even will all of those horses. They aren't visible at all. you get them right before they hatch, sprinkle them around your barn, and when they hatch they eat the fly larva. no flys! It worked so well at the track we got them for our house, I haven't seen a fly in years.

when my mom gets home I'll ask her the website, its very inexpenisve.

 

[~Lisa~]

I used Fly predators and noticed a slight difference nothing major the biggest difference was early in the season. I have chickens now and not sure if getting the fly predators would work or if the chickens would eat them

 

[Magic]

Fly predators here too!

You have to get enough of them at a time, and getting them every three weeks instead of every four weeks works better too. I need to talk to my neighbors and see if they will try them too.

 

[Indian*R*A*I*N*Dance]

I live in MA too and know what you mean! We live right next to a pond and a stream and woods so before the horse we would use a mosquito magnet but when the boys came we got fly predators and they work really well. money well spent there! I also use a fly spray, the one made by Farnam and it works very well.

 

[Mr.T]

We get our fly predators at ValleyVet. Fast and reliable shipping, they will send your flies when you need then (every 3 or 4 weeks)

 

[gatorbait4sure]

We haul our manure off every week, would fly preditors work here? Where do you put them?????

 

[Mr.T]

We haul our manure off every week, would fly preditors work here? Where do you put them?????

yes it would work, anywhere there are flies. fly preditors are bugs themselves that eat flies and their larva. keep in mind these bugs aren't visible and do no harm to any other animals. you just sprinkle them down in the barn, around the pastures, and near the manure pile.

 

[whimsical]

I have to say that if you haul off the manure they may not be as effective.

These bugs tend to be where flies lay their eggs and they attack the fly larva.

So you may be hauling off some of your fly predators at the same time.

BTW we buy ours from Arbico.com

They just reduced their prices this year and you don't pay extra for shipping.

And I swear I get more than I did with Spaulding Labs.

 

[georgiegirl]

Fly predators work very well. I have used them in my barn for years with great success. I am on a program where they are delivered every 2 weeks through the summer.

The only time I use fly spray on my horses is at a horse show. I do use a mixture of Skin So Soft, Repelx, and water for the show spray.

Yeah for the predators

 

[~Lisa~]

Ifyou haul off manure weekly then you will be throwing out a large portion of what you purchased in the fly predators

I have done the same thing took me a whole season to realize I had been throwing them out lol

I did use them out in the pasture and dry lot where I do not take it all way weekly ( I only do that for manure in the barn ) I noticed a slight difference but honestly not a huge one

 

[Riverdance]

From the research that I have done, fly predators does not really work very well if one has a lot of horses, especially for the price one pays for them.

I finally broke down and bought a fly spray system for the barn. What a difference!!!! I know it is a chemical, but they have environmentally safe ones (so they say).

My feed, horses, dogs and myself were just being chewed alive by these things. Paddocks were scraped of manure when I was able to let the mares into pasture. The manure was moved to a distance from the barn, yet still I had a big fly problem.

Now I do not.

 

[~Lisa~]

I agree my system is wonderful! It might not protect them out in the pasture but I know they get to come in to a fly free zone