Mosquito Bites & Prevention for the Summer!!

[K.C. Lunde]

Hi guys!

Don't know how the mosquito situation is in your areas, but with the recent heavy rainfall here in Alberta turning the prairies into a swamp.. Well the mosquitos are getting pretty bad, and I feel sorry for the turned out horses. So I thought it was a good idea to start a topic.. what insect repellant sprays do you use? What have you found that works?

Does anyone have any good ideas for smudges?

Looking forward to hearing from you!!

 

[Performancemini]

I am eager to hear too! The mosquitoes have come out here too and they LOVE ME! I did notice tonight some of my horses have some small bumps. Don't know if they are the mosquitoes or another bug or fly. I hate this during show season! Also hate to keep them in daytime-I see my dark brown colt is starting to bleach a little already.

 

[cassie]

we use a citronella spray here is australia, I find it really good for my stock horse he HATES mosquitoes and flies they won't go near him when he has it on... don't know if you can get it where you are, can't remember what its called but it the best when I go home I'll try find them and tell you the name if you like.

 

[Sixstardanes]

Saber has unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with mother added to his oats or beet pulp daily and this seem to keep the skeeters from biting him.

 

[frostedpineminis]

I love the new version of ultrashield!! smells nice and lasts for 17 days!!! more weather resistant now too and I have tried it and it does last quite a while, for me at least 2 weeks. I have also heard that listerine is a wonderful mosquito repellant, but dont use it on my horses as not sure that it is safe.

 

[Minimor]

I use Muskol; it works well and is the most economical as it sprays such a fine mist it sprays more horses per can than the other repellents. For flies I usually use Konk and sometimes Ultrashield.

 

[LindaL]

Here's what I do in Florida -- Mosquito capital of the world!!! (during the season!)

A friend taught me this, and it works like a charm --

Go to a store like Walmart or something similar -- to the furniture polish section, and buy a bottle of "ORANGE OIL". (People use it for oiling furniture) It's 100% orange oil -- nothing added, no chemicals, etc.

Anyway, put it in a spray bottle -- do not dilute -- and spray a few squirts on the top of your water troughs. You don't need a whole lot, as it will "spread" and cover the top of the water! It "seals" the water, and mosquitoes cannot breed in the water any more!!! And those that are in there -- DIE !!

The horses don't mind it, it's 100% pure and natural, tastes good, and is perfectly safe!! Voile! No more mosquito breeding grounds near your barns, etc. I also give a slight mist to my automatic waterers, with complete success!

Inexpensive, safe and won't hurt horse or environment!

.

Thanks Diane for that suggestion! I am going to try that!

 

[Mareish Mom]

Diane I love that suggestion, I'm definately going to try it, sounds like it would work for my doggy swimming pool as well as the troughs (and maybe make the dogs smell better!).

 

[Munchkie]

my pink skinned palomino (not sure if that is making a difference) is super sensitive and gets big welts from the bites. I have him on the raw organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar, flax and spirulina, and he still is. I have tried several all natural sprays, limited success. Would love to find one that really helps, I am a bit afraid to use the chemical sprays...

 

[JennyB]

Dilute some drops of blue dawn dishwashing liquid with water. Works good

 

Good Luck,

Jenny

 

[vickie gee]

Time to bump this topic back up!

Started using Diane's method of orange oil in the drinking water back when she first posted. It works great! I also use the little burlap bags of barley that TSC sells to cut back on the green slime that water troughs get.

I buy my orange oil at the health food store. Recently I did some on-line research for natural sprays to repel mosquitoes. Mainly since our warehouses at work have Texas size ones, especially the ones that have water standing in the streets. Co-workers stop by my desk to spray up with Vickie's Skeeter B Gone. Heh-heh. What I use for a base is witch hazel and a little mineral oil. My spray at home has a base of vodka (totally serious) and mineral oil. Trust me, it works. I buy the cheapest bottle and it is actually more economical than the witch hazel. I then add several drops of citronella oil, orange oil, cedar oil, and lemongrass oil. Don't spray around your face. My eyes got really irritated from that mistake. Spray it on the back side of your hands and then rub that on your ears and face. Mosquitoes love my ears.

Shake it up really well before you spray as the oils seem to float to the top. Depending on whether I want to smell more orangey or lemony I go heavier on that particular oil. Of course, the horses get a spraying also. Right now I am finishing up what I bought for them before I started checking in to making natural ones.

Just read about putting the apple cidar vinegar in their beet pulp. I plan on starting that as soon as I get a new bottle. We do add it to the cats drinking water to help with the fleas problem.

Also we use the the sticky cardboard poles that catch flies. They also catch wasps, mosquitoes, gnats, and all sorts of bugs I can't identify. Occasionally a bird will get stuck or lose some feathers getting out of a sticky situation.

Also have been using the feed through pellets for fly larva. We keep a bag of diatomaceous earth around. I like to put a scoop of it on the dirt the cats claim as potty ground. Also occasionally dump it on horse poop out in the pasture, especially if it has drawn flies.

Thanks Diane as well as all other contributors! Anyone else want to share their ways of fighting the pests?

 

[LittleRibbie]

Never heard of that Diane....will try....doesn't help that hubby build a pond on the property though!!

 

[paintponylvr]

Heidi - TSC sells little "doughnuts" that are a mosquito repellant/killer that you can put in your pond. I've heard it works great and doesn't kill fish or livestock - not sure of the chemical composition.

Vickie - I was going to post about using some of the "natural" products - but looks like you covered it. Do you have proportions that you use (like a single drop vs a TB or 1/4 cup or a quart)?

My farrier makes up her own mosquito/fly spray - starts with "steeping" herbs (that's long and messy for me...), draining and adding the vinegar base mix into a squirt bottle and then adding oils and water. Both she and I have/distribute doTerra Essential Oils and that is what we use... But even with an oil base, because water is added, these seem to sweat off a lot and I find I'm constantly re-applying them. So even though it's "better" than chemicals (you DO have to be careful with herbs and natural oils too!!!) - they do burn and irritate and not just the eyes - some are not meant to be used "neat" (applied straight to skin - mixed or not). Plus both humans and horses can have just as much of an allergic reaction to them as to any other chemical.

Sometimes for gnats/mosquitos - we used fabric dryer sheets - draping them off the brow band of a bridle, wrapping a halter cheek strap or tucking up under a baseball cap for humans. This year, the trick doesn't seem to be working at all!!

It's taken a combination of lots of different things to try to keep flies, mosquitos, gnats and no-see-ums at bay this year - but 11" of rain in June will do that! I almost miss the drought of the last several years (O, bite my tongue!!)...

Thank you for the orange oil tip - I will get some!

Fleas and ticks on dogs and cats bad this year too! Normal stuff only lasting 2 weeks and 3 vets I've spoken to say NO, do not re-apply before the end of the month.

 

[vickie gee]

Sorry, I don't really have proportions because it was so difficult to measure drops when you can't tell with some of the essential oil bottles if a drop is really coming out on the ones that the entire lid does not come off. That is how the cedar oil and the lemongrass ones I have are. So I just wing it. Basically I just bought spray bottles from the dollar store. I fill it about 2/3 of the way up with the witch hazel or vodka then add about 1/2 inch of mineral oil and then several drops of the essential oils to bring it up to raise it another 1/4 inch or so. I really do like the way the cedar and lemongrass smell together!

Now who doesn't love neem oil for the dandruff in a horse's mane and tail? Phew! In case you have never smelled it just think rotten onions and rotten garlic. You can mix a few drops with lavender oil and it tones it down and it still works well. I found out how bad it is one day when I put a tiny drop on a dry spot on my leg. I could not wash the smell off until I showered. Smelled like decade old unwashed armpits and a vampire- warding- off potion. Handle with care! (or put some in the hand cream/body lotion of someone who has really really made you mad.

Lady at the liquor store looked at me so funny when her told her I wanted a big cheap bottle of vodka. Then I told her what it was for. She said she is totally frightened of ANY spider and that she uses peppermint oil in water and sprays it around her baseboards and corners of her rooms when she cleans.