Auto fly spray system -- how much improvement to expect?

[Libby2563]

I installed a Pyranha Spraymaster system in my three-stall barn about 6 weeks ago. I thought I noticed a significant fly reduction in the first few days, but now I’m no longer sure how much it’s doing. Immediately after a spray cycle I will still see flies on the walls and the horses’ legs. There’s still a fair bit of stomping and swishing, and I still get my legs bitten while I’m cleaning sometimes. I do see some dead ones in the aisle when sweeping but not that many, maybe a dozen a day or less.

I’m not getting the fly reduction I should be, am I? Most people seem to be much happier with this system’s results.

I installed it according to the instructions (one nozzle in the center of each stall, three down the aisle) and I have checked that it’s running at the correct pressure. I had it running at the suggested number of times a day, and I’ve actually increased that by one time recently but that hasn’t seemed to help.

When I watch the spray, it seems to come out in a rather narrow cone so not much area is covered. There will be a damp spot in the aisle only 18-24" across.

I also worry that all the open windows and doors, and the stall fans, make it less effective. However, I specifically asked the manufacturer about the effect of the fans before buying and they said the extra ventilation actually helps disperse the spray.

BTW, the last three years I have tried fly predators, traps, and feed-through fly control, all to no real effect. I have 9 acres in the middle of 5 other horse farms, most of them much larger, and there are more horse farms within fly’s range, so those kind of population control measures seem futile. I was hoping to at least make the barn a bit more comfortable for the horses and myself though.

Any ideas?

[sid]

I’ve had the system for years and couldn’t live without it. That said, it won’t be totally effective if your stalls aren’t super cleaned. Urine and even small amounts of manure will attract them. I’m not suggesting your stalls aren’t clean, but maybe not clean “enough” to the get the maximum benefit from the spray system.

[Libby2563]

[QUOTE=sid;8849853]
I’ve had the system for years and couldn’t live without it. That said, it won’t be totally effective if your stalls aren’t super cleaned. Urine and even small amounts of manure will attract them. I’m not suggesting your stalls aren’t clean, but maybe not clean “enough” to the get the maximum benefit from the spray system.[/QUOTE]

Hmm makes sense, but I haven’t noticed a difference between weekends when I can pick stalls a few times during the day, and weekdays when I’m gone at work and they get a bit dirtier. They do get cleaned thoroughly every afternoon though, then sit clean and dry overnight while the horses are out.

I have noticed that leaving a little bit of filth (e.g., hoof pickings) in the aisle then running the system actually seems to help because it attracts the flies to where they can get a full dose of spray. Sweeping up their little bodies afterwards is satisfying too.

[clanter]

[QUOTE=Libby2563;8849847]

Any ideas?[/QUOTE]

increase the frequency and duration of the spray cycles… and I made a cycle off control that turns all the fans off during spraying

[SusanO]

I didn’t start mine until June this year and I am in Alabama so I already had a bunch of flies. After the system got up and running I had a huge reduction in flies and I have had almost no flies all summer. Due to me screwing something up on the system it is going off 6 times a day for a whole minute. I also have been in a drought so the dry hot weather is probably keeping the flies down outside and the one horse that is on 24-7 turnout will NOT poop outdoors so manure outside is drying up. Even in the pastures I have almost no flies.

Believe me - this never happened pre fly system. And I tried the fly predators which did not help at all. Now that I bought a manure spreader and am spreading way across the pasture and am no longer creating a huge manure pile I expect to see even less flies.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

[QUOTE=Libby2563;8849847]

BTW, the last three years I have tried fly predators, traps, and feed-through fly control, all to no real effect. I have 9 acres in the middle of 5 other horse farms, most of them much larger, and there are more horse farms within fly’s range, so those kind of population control measures seem futile. I was hoping to at least make the barn a bit more comfortable for the horses and myself though.

Any ideas?[/QUOTE]

What feeds do you use? We have a couple of horses on “weight builder” type feeds and the flies just flock to their stalls.

Also we use a sealed enclosure fan over each stall. I mounted it in the corner blowing downward/diagonally across the stall. It seems the flies are much less bothersome when the horse is in the draft.

Do you turn over your manure pile regularly? For that matter, find and eliminate all forms of fly attraction. Your neighbors may harbor flies but you can always reduce the attractiveness to them.

[clanter]

…an added question: When are you having the system spray?

I found that if wait until the sun has come up Before cleaning the stalls the stalls sounds like an airport with the flies in the stalls… silence afterwards …

What I saying if the flies are not there you cannot kill them; the spraying does inhibit their presence by coating the bedding but the Pyranha spray I use is more effective with direct contact

[SusanO]

I agree with Clanter - the system is only going to kill the flies that are in the barn when it goes off. So to make it more effective you need to eliminate the fly attractors outside of the barn. I.e. manure piles, poop in pasture close to the barn, damp rotting vegetation, etc. My horses are helping - they seem to be unable to poop anywhere but their stall:mad:. I do have some cows across the road but they are a distance away so not a huge problem. If you have other farms close that are not trying to eliminate flies that may be a problem too.

[Libby2563]

Thanks for all the replies! To try to answer some questions:

Right now it is set to spray at 7 am, 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm, and 7 pm. The horses are in/fans are running about 7:15 am - 5 pm.

Clanter, how did you make your fans turn off during spraying?? I’m not that savvy but it’s intriguing.

My main fly attractor outside (but near) the barn is the manure dumpster. It gets hauled off when full and I don’t really have the ability to turn it. I’ve been dying to cover it but haven’t figured out how yet.

I have downward/diagonal fans and like them for the reason DHC mentioned, but they also seem to move mostly hot air because of how high they hang, and I think they may interfere with the ridge vent. I recently started using a fan mounted on the front of one horse’s stall instead as an experiment, and his stall is significantly cooler than the others BUT no downward breeze. Can’t win.

It is frustrating that the sprayer system isn’t working better because I watch it run and can see flies in there that do not die. Unless maybe there’s a delay?

Are the nozzles adjustable maybe? Should they be misting in a wider pattern than they are? Is it possible that the liquid settled and separated out or something? I think I may call Pyranha tomorrow and see if they have any suggestions.

I swear when I first got it it seemed like it was working better. Maybe I should turn it off for a couple days and see how much worse it gets, so I can evaluate better.