If you ask any farmer or equestrian what they find hardest to manage in terms of their animals during the summer months, you can guarantee that many of them will say keeping flies at bay.
Each year like clockwork, the weather will turn warmer and the flies will appear as if from nowhere. They will have come out of their winter hibernation, if they have managed to survive the cold conditions, to immediately start the breeding process which will quickly run out if control if steps are not taken at an early enough stage.
As soon as flies begin to breed, they are hard to control. The last thing that you want is for these pests to start spreading disease and cause irritation to your animals, so plan ahead and put in place some measures to try and restrict their takeover.
Consider where you are going to keep your animals for the season. Trees and hedgerows tend to attract flies and other flying insects to their surroundings, whilst water is also another major pull for them to gather and breed. Once you have chosen the best place for your animals to stay, you can begin to use other measures to try and keep as many flies at bay as possible. Flies like to hatch their eggs in warm and moist manure heaps that have been undisturbed, so try to keep on top of mucking out in order to prevent this.
Sprays are very easy to use, designed to be sprayed directly onto your horse’s coat, mane and tail. This can be done daily so that they have fresh protection each morning as soon as the flies begin to move around. Sprays are usually long-lasting, but are safe to reapply throughout the day if you feel it is needed. Citronella scents in particular are known to repel flies, although each spray will have their own special ingredient that is aimed at moving flies along quickly.
In the same way as the spray, repellent shampoos can be massaged into the coat, mane and tail, offering some protection throughout the day from flies and other flying insects. Simply use it in the same way as your normal animal shampoo on a regular basis and the deterrent scent will work itself deeply into the hair follicles, making flies less likely to want to settle on your horse.
Perfect for placing in barns, stables, paddocks and cow sheds, a fly trap will collect pests without the need for electricity or chemicals. They are easy to hang up and will attract those nasty horse flies to it’s unit rather than to your horse.
Designed to protect the sensitive areas of the face, a horse fly mask will help to ensure that the skin does not become sore and irritated. They are available in a range of different designs to suit your horse's temperament, with options to cover the eyes, ears or the entire face, without restricting movement or vision.
You won’t be able to eliminate the problem of flies completely, but you can certainly make life more comfortable for your animals by taking a few of our suggestions and putting them into practice. Browse our website for our full range of fly repelling products.
