Getting rid of?

[SammyL]

[SIZE=10pt]Gnats are HORRID. They seem to be eating the horses alive. Lighting is my gelding with the most white on him, and the gnats love to bite him on the chest and under his legs where the white is. I rub vasaline on the bites, and that helps. I also put vasaline in everyone's ears to stop the biting. It helps some.[/SIZE]

However, is there home remedies that anyone knows that I can use to help gain control of the gnats?

I mean, they are everywhere, on their bodies, in their ears, on the privates...it is crazy and driving the horses up the wall!

 

[Alex]

Here is what I can think of:

fly mask, swat, flyspray,eliminate breeding ground, clenlieness, adding Bug of garlic.

Go to the mini info pages on lilbeginnings.com and get homeade flyspray with vinegar, and they show how to make fly traps.

 

[Contessa]

I don't have an answer for you but I would also like to know how to get rid of these pests. I'm in PA and have never seen them this bad before.

 

[tnovak]

Skin So Soft, Listerine??????? Didn't notice how BAD they were until today......

 

[SammyL]

Skin So Soft, Listerine???????

[SIZE=12pt]Skin So Soft works! But I cannot get my hands on any.[/SIZE]

Listerine watered down in a spray you mean?

 

[lcwallis]

I haven't tried this but I received one of those emails with helpful tips. It said for gnats put some apple cider vinegar in a cup with a couple of drops of liquid dishwashing soap. It's suppose to attract and kill them. Don't know if it really works but it would be cheap to find out if you have these on hand.

L

 

[Millstone Farm]

I read somewhere that Skin So Soft initially repels bugs but soon ATTRACTS them as the scent fades!

Try using vaseline with a drop (and I mean a drop) of liquid citronella. that used to work oon a Thoroughbred mare I owned who had a horrible allergic reaction to gnat bites.

 

[basshorse]

We used to have to battle really bad blood-sucking type gnats in our big horse's ears, chest, anywhere their coat was thin. I try to avoid using insectide or chemicals ...so, we tried all kinds of natural stuff and in desperation...some insectides

...nothing seemed to work...the only thing I found was an ointment and it would acutally last for several days.

It is an insecticide...but a little worked really well and went a long way. I had to purchase it from my vet. It is called VIP, Veterinarian Insecticide Products, Fly Repellent Ointment...actually, for dogs and cats. White jar 2 oz...I could get through a summer using 2 jars...don't think it was more than $10 for a jar. It was the first thing I bought in the spring for my horses. We moved 40 miles in town and no longer have the nasty gnats...wierd...but, I usually keep a jar around just in case. Fly masks with ear covers works great, but other thin-coated areas really needed this stuff. We also found some natural spray made out of Marigolds (name?), but it wouldn't last more than a couple of hours on the gnats. We used the Marigold spray successfully for a more general fly repellent all over the body. So, it might be something worth trying...Good luck! Becky

 

[basshorse]

below is a link for the ointment... Becky

http://www.healthypets.com/vipflyrepoin.html

 

[CyndiM]

There was an article in Horse Journal July issue about this. In a nutshell it says nothing is 100%. But it also says there are things you can do to help.

One is "feeding large amounts of freshly ground or ground stabilized flaxseed a pound a day for 1100-lb horse. (If your Shetland pony weighs 300-lbs, feed about 4.5oz)" This question was asked about a Shetland.

"Barrier methods can provide a lot of relief. Fly sprays effective against other biting insects have little or no effect on Culicoides." (that's what gnats are.) "Camphor/menthol are much more effective products to try....

A layer of Vaseline with Campho-Phenique and Calm Coat will help...... you can also use a layer of Vicks VapoRub which both repels them and physically prevents them from biting. An added bonus is that the aromatic oils block the pain and itch sensation."

There is more information in the article, but the way I type snow will be on the ground before I would have it on here.

 

[shawna]

I have also heard Vick's vapor rub works to Ive used it years ago. You can use that for the ears and around muzzle.