How to Properly Manage Fly Control in Your Horses Stable

How to Properly Manage Fly Control in Your Horses Stable

Is there anything more annoying than dealing with an onslaught of pesky flies when working in your horses stable? If you cant stand, imagine how your horse feels. Also, not only are flies annoying but they also can be a danger to your horses overall health. When trying to control and deal with flies, you need to establish an organized plan to fight them.

The first step of any fly control plan is to try and eliminate the flies from hatching. In order to accomplish this, youll need to monitor the moisture levels in the stable and stay on top of cleaning the manure. Im talking about daily removal of manure along with any uneaten feed. Once the manure is out of the stable, spread it out very thinly so it will dry out quickly and destroy a prime fly larvae habitat. Since flies tend to lay their eggs in the manure and stool, you can purchase feed products which spoil this smelly breeding ground through sterilization. The products themselves are non-toxic and completely harmless to the horse.

The goal of your fly elimination management plan is to kill as many pesky flies as possible and also prevent them from coming back. You can use chemicals means and there are a wide variety of insecticides out there. You can use topical sprays, foggers, and also misters. Some insecticides are sold in strips laced with chemicals but be careful with these since many are not safe to use in enclosed areas such as a stable. Also be very cautious using chemical insecticides around your animals because they can also be harmful to them. Remember to always read the manufacturers label and follow the directions.

Fly bait is an excellent method for trapping insects that do not feed on blood. While they wont work on stable or horseflies, they are great for dealing with pesky house flies. Another overlooked method of fly management is weed and vegetation control. Again, make certain any weed killers you use are labeled safe for the use around horses.

A popular method of controlling flies is the implementation of repellants applied directly to the horse. Here we are talking about products like shampoos, lotions, and applications that apply fly repellant directly on the horse. Youll also find other types of non-chemical repellants. These include bridles, horse fly masks, and fly shakers with repellent strips attached to them.