Explore the secrets of maintaining a peaceful, fly-free stable with our latest guide, “How to keep flies off horses naturally” Uncover the realm of natural fly control methods that offer a safer environment for your equine friends.
Learn about everything from innovative fly masks to the strategic introduction of beneficial insects, as we unveil the most effective, chemical-free ways to shield your horses from unwanted pests.
Implement Effective Manure Management Practices
Use less bug spray for animals by better managing manure and water. Make sure to clean where animals live regularly and turn manure into compost, which flies don’t like as much.
Cover these areas to keep out rain, helping prevent pollution and making it harder for pests to live there.
Put gutters and spouts on barns and sheds to keep clean rainwater away from where the animals stay, which helps stop mud and water spots that draw in insects.
Get rid of any standing water by fixing dripping taps and removing items that collect water, to stop mosquitoes from laying eggs. Handling manure and water well is key to keeping the animal areas cleaner and less appealing to pests.
Emphasize Pasture Management for Horses
When you can, let horses graze on higher, drier fields early in the summer to prevent muddy spots. Wait to use the lower, wetter fields — where mosquitoes, deer flies, horse flies, and biting midges live — until later in the summer when they’ve dried up.
Regularly harrow (or drag) your fields to break apart and spread out manure piles. This process not only helps plants absorb the nutrients and organic materials from the manure but also dries out the manure, making it less appealing for flies to settle in.
Employ Fly Masks for Insect Control
Many horse owners are familiar with a really effective and safe way to keep flies away from horses: the fly mask. Fly masks provide a barrier that stops flies from bothering the horse and can also protect horses from getting sunburned, especially those sensitive to the sun.
Most horses get used to fly masks fast and will even put their heads down to have one put on. Some masks just cover the eyes, while others also cover the ears and cheeks.
Another choice is fly sheets. These are light, breathable horse covers that can really help in keeping annoying flies away from a horse’s body. There are also fly boots, which protect the horse’s legs and feet, reducing the need for them to keep stomping.
Identify and Promote Beneficial Insects
In pest control, it’s a common mistake to view all insects as nuisances. However, the Xerces Society, a dedicated group promoting the conservation of habitats for helpful insects for over forty years, points out that only about 2% of insects are actually harmful.
This society highlights that beneficial insects significantly aid agriculture, contributing an estimated $4–12 billion a year. Insects naturally control each other’s populations, preventing any single group from dominating.
For horse owners, one ally could be the fly parasite, a tiny, night-active wasp that targets flies by laying its eggs inside fly pupae. This process significantly reduces the fly numbers. Fly parasites are harmless to people and animals and are so small and nocturnal that they’re hardly ever seen.
Attract Insect-eating Birds to the Area
Attracting insect-eating birds to your yard and barn can significantly reduce flying bug populations. Birds like swallows are really helpful for a horse facility because they fly around catching lots of insects.
An adult barn swallow can eat thousands of insects every day — that’s like having a natural bug zapper, but much safer than using chemicals.
Utilize Insect and Fly Traps for Additional Control
Using simple, safe insect traps can really help lower the number of flying bugs on your farm. Sticky traps are the most straightforward and cost-effective solution. These traps catch flying insects that accidentally bump into them. You can hang fly paper or sticky ribbons above doors or from the ceilings of barns.
The old-school spiral sticky strips are among the most affordable and simplest to set up. Consider hanging several, like ten or more, from the ceiling of your barn. When they’re full of caught flies, just take them down and replace them with new ones. Be careful to place them where people won’t walk into them or horses won’t hit them with their tails.
There are also other trap types like colorful sticky tubes, which attract flies because they are drawn to bright colors. You can hang these up too. Some of these traps might come with a special scent to attract flies even more.
Conclusion
In conclusion, keeping flies off your horses naturally, as detailed in our guide “How to keep flies off horses naturally” is not only achievable but also advantageous for both your equine companions and the environment.
By adopting methods such as fly masks, beneficial insects, and proper pasture management, you can establish a more comfortable and fly-free zone for your horses. Remember, every small step towards natural pest control represents a significant advance towards a healthier, happier barn. For more insightful tips and strategies, don’t forget to explore our other blogs at Pestweek.
Calina Mabel has over 15 years of experience in the field of journalism and communications. Currently, Calina Mabel is the Content Writer for categories such as Cockroach, Ants, Bed Bugs, Mosquito, Rodent, Termite, and Flies on Pestweek.com. She aims to build content for these categories with a focus on providing valuable and accessible information to readers, in order to create the world’s largest knowledge community about Pests.
All content written by Calina Mabel has been reviewed by Emily Carter.