Use in the stall… what benefit? Odor reduction? Flies are reduced?
Same for the manure pile?
Wet/ boggy spots on your property?
Topically on your horse or other animals?
Fed TO the horse?
Curious what is just optimistic thinking vs. what folks here have actually put to use and seen a benefit from using.
I had a year where two of my horses were getting bitten by something (never did figure out what!) where there would be a small bite looking lump and then it would get larger and larger and leak serum like crazy, so the horses would end up with these baseball-sized wet spots on them. I tried every bug spray I could get my hands on, and all horses were in sheets/flysheets (and the bites were under them). The two horses were the two who tend to lounge around in the dirt the most, so my assumption was that the weirdly wet late winter had led to something living in the dirt that we weren’t used to. So I went out and put a layer of diatomaceous earth around the entire rolling area. The wet spots on the horses stopped, but I have no idea if it was actually because of the diatomaceous earth.
Thanks PNWjumper. This is exactly what I was hoping to hear.
I’ve got something going on here and am optimistic DE will help.
Did you ever ‘dust’ them with DE?
Nope, I never used it on the horses. Don’t think I ever thought about it!
Considering the respiratory risks, both to human and horse, “dusting” a horse with DE sounds like a pretty terrible idea.
Do not put it in or on your horses!
Do put it on ant beds and wasp/yellow jacket nests.
So here’s a weird one. A few days ago I came across a fly spray from the UK that contains silicon dioxide. Diatomateous earth contains silicon dioxide, somewhere between 80-90%. Yes, it’s a fly spray that contains silicon dioxide in a liquid solution. I emailed the company that makes the products for more info, but they haven’t responded yet. Let me try to find the product. Hold please…
This is not it, but here’s another one that’s made in the US: http://www.cedarbugfree.com/product_pages/horses_livestock/horses.html
I found it! The company is Finecto and the product is Fincto+ Protect. It’s used on horses in the winter for mites and in the summer for sweet itch. It’s also used on birds.
https://www.finecto.com/en-gb/products/finecto-protect-1000-ml/
Finecto+ Protect is a sticky spray containing small particles of silicon dioxide. When juvenile red mites walk over a sprayed surface, their abdomens are torn open and they dry out. This way, they are eliminated before they can reach the chickens. Finecto+ consists only of natural components. The hens and birds can remain in the chicken coop during the treatment. The product is naturally degradable and as a result it is not a pollutant. By spraying into the environment / cage every 5 to 6 weeks you keep the mites outside. It can also be used to spray onto horses in the winter with mites and in the summer with sweet itch.
This article and the people in the comments section say that silicon dioxide kills bed bugs.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
