Ecovet fly spray---anyone using it?

[horsepoor]

[QUOTE=flexion;8725406]
Word trickled down from an Ecovet rep that the application of the spray is really important. It’s supposed to be a squirt on each leg, one on the poll, and one on the croup. It makes a bubble shield as it evaporates. Apply too much and it won’t evaporate correctly so it won’t work. This is why a bottle lasts a really long time. It’s weird that they don’t advertise these instructions![/QUOTE]

I looked at my bottle last night, and the directions do say to apply to only the legs and lower body. And to use care around eyes and ears (so not so sure they’d really advise putting on the poll). The instructions are right there on the bottle if people actually take a look – that’s how I use it (spray legs and belly) and have found it effective.

[DMK]

I bought a bottle last year and switched to using it almost exclusively this year, it really does make a difference, enough so that if I miss a day on the laid up horse who lives out 24/7, it’s not like he’s going crazy with flies after 48 hours. All the other stuff, and they are stomping like crazy by the next day (and I’m talking Endure and Pyranha, not cheap stuff).

That said IT IS THE VILEST STUFF EVER. I hold my breath and go in for the spray, then run out of the Veil of Awfulness and gulp oxygen as soon as possible. It does last forever though. That tiny little bottle lasted the pasture pet 2 months (let’s not use the word beached whale, let’s just say he has a lot of surface area). That was almost daily use and I was kind of generous because I’m still feeling bad about the fact he isn’t in during the heat of the day with a fan blowing on him.

I also do keep Endure on hand because the ecovet is supposed to be applied to a dry horse, so I need something to spritz on for work/bathe/turnout days. But since these days I have a pasture puff and a young one who is still mostly doing ground work, most days it is ecovet.

[avjudge]

Any effect against deer flies?

Has anyone noticed if this is effective against deer flies (particularly in New England)? In general repellents don’t seem to do much against them, and they’re just horrible around my sister’s place.

[froglander]

Hmm, lots of good comments here, may have to give my bottle another shot!

[Foxtrot_s]

Perhaps I have to try it - I have “Sucker” branded on my forehead - I’d lost faith in all flysprays up to now.

[fjordmom]

Started using this earlier this summer, since I’m leasing a horse that has sweet itch. So far he is doing very well, still has a mane and tail (which I’m told was almost gone by this time of the season in his past home location) and no excema on his midline.

We got a nasty flush of deer flies one day in the beginning of June. Saw the horses stomping and tail swishing badly, so I went out to apply it. Very interesting. After I sprayed, I could literally watch the flies come close, almost land, and then suddenly turn away. Swishing and stomping stopped almost immediately.

It was still working well by the time I came to bring horses in that night. Yes, it does work very well to repel our northern Michigan deer flies. Nothing else has so far. I will keep using it. (I may alternate now and then with a pyrethrin based spray so that I actually kill some flies too and keep the population smaller.)

[QUOTE=DoubleDown;8724440]
Reminded me of my younger brother drenching himself in Axe body spray, but worse! :eek:[/QUOTE]

Yes, you nailed that, same choking/gag inducing smell only quite a bit stronger. It was irritating to my eyes and left me with a coughing fit, the one time I got a strong whiff of it. That said, now I just put on one of those disposable painters masks (the kind you just run the elastics behind your ears and it covers your nose and mouth) when applying. I can still breath and it’s easy/quick to put on/take off. My horses wear fly masks, so I put those on before spraying to protect thier eyes. So far no problems.

Interesting about the Ecovet rep’s comments regarding application. They are NOT on the bottle I got. It just says to spray or wipe on. Horse should be dry. For ticks apply to legs and belly. I’d be curious to learn more about the application. I am feeling like it is a bit expensive if sprayed the same way other products are: all over body. Maybe proper spot spraying is the answer.

[VTMorgan06]

I bought it and really didn’t see any difference in any other fly spray. My horse would go outside and be swishing her tail and have clusters of flies within a few minutes. The smell was awful. I would hold my breath, spray and then dart out of the stall as quickly as possible. I used it for about a week and then gave it away. Interesting to hear that other people have had such good results.

[horsepoor]

Application instructions from my bottle:

[stb]

I’m really interested in this stuff. I’m so tired of buying bottle after bottle of fly spray, spraying it daily, and then watching my horses swish and stomp. Thanks to this thread I just ordered some Eco-Vet spray. I can’t wait to try it.

[pony_baloney]

Finally tried it today. OMG the smell!!! It sort of lingers in the air and catches you when you least expect it.

Sprayed horse’s legs, belly, one shot on HQ and upper neck. The flies lingered among the hoof pickings on the ground but didn’t go on the horse. If they did, they quickly flew away. Fingers crossed my horse doesn’t roll and get it off when he goes out tonight.

Small bottle, but the price doesn’t bother me if it works.

[Lord_Helpus]

I looked on the site and all it said was that it was a “proprietary mixture of fatty acids”. This sounds like voodoo to me.

I am using (on alternate days) DERFEN fly spray (very expensive and hard to find), and a ‘custom made’ oil based spray that has pyrethrins, pyperonyl (sp?) butoxide and NEEM. Both work well.

But I think the commonality between all these fly sprays is that they are oil based. Any oil based fly spray will work better because the oil creates a barrier between fly and skin, and it will not wash away from sweat or rain.

I created my own concoction with the help of COTH’ers. Especially the NEEM (found in the gardening section) seems to be important for sweet itch horses. A quart of my spray costs about $15, when I add up all the ingredients.

PS: My homemade fly spray smells just as bad as the expensive kind.

PPS: I have never seen a black horse who is inside during the day and out at night with a full micromesh fly sheet on fade as badly as Goober has.

His gorgeous black is now a muddy looking light brown. The only thing I can think of is his fly spray which, being oil based, is ‘burning’ him just like baby oil burns human skin. — Any experience with this? Any idea what I can do to turn him black again? Dye him? use Black as Knight (is it even legal anymore)? Use a supplement which is specifically good for coats?

— I am actually serious about dyeing him. I have dyed tails before and they looked great. But I have no idea what a horse with a dyed body looks like.

[Kyrabee]

I was at the a local farm store the other day and they carried this so I thought I would try 1 bottle and see.

Color me impressed. I didn’t even think the smell was that bad although I did take her outside to spray her…and she kind of did the Texas two step while I sprayed her which is not usual for her. But, once sprayed, she was fine…no coughing or snorting.

No fly got near her…the usual sprays, the flies are usually in the vicinity, they just don’t land. This…I saw no flies around her at all. I put her back in her run and gave her and the horse in the next run a little hay in their sheds. Joy (other horse) was moderately busy with her tail. Kyra’s (my horse) was dead quiet. Never did see her swish it while I was changing clothes and getting ready to leave.

It is oily. Kyra is white so by the time I lunged her she had dust stripes. But, I didn’t notice until I put the bottle away that I had the bottle on stream instead of spray so her stripes were a tad heavy on product.

We will see but again impressed by the efficiency on day 1:).

Susan

[Foxtrot_s]

Well, my bottle of Eco-vet arrived today. Bit of a hassle going over the border to pick it up, but I do believe it is working – really! Still not going to give it the complete Good Housekeeping seal of approval but think it is an improvement.

It has a slight coconut scent, not that offensive, and maybe they have made it smell better after comments?

However, my horse, who is an angel for sprays, hoses, etc. gives me the sideways glance when I approach armed with the bottle and walks away with her bum definitely facing me! She’s not impressed.

I shall try the legs, poll, tail approach to see if that works, and the instructions do say to stand downwind.

I don’t think it will be available in Canada any time soon as it is very hard for chemicals to be imported due to regulations. If I like it, I will order a bigger container of it.

[Foxtrot_s]

Oh - it also says do not apply to a sweaty or wet horse.

[Simkie]

I was really excited to try this stuff but don’t find it to work any better than anything else this year. Sigh

[tazycat]

After reading this thread about it Got a small bottle of Eco vet. Tryed it doesn’t work at all flies were still all over horses. Applied according to direction,NOT IMPRESSED expensive stink. Seems the stink attracts the flies more,in the garbage it goes.

[Foxtrot_s]

Give it to someone who may have better luck with it.

It is windy today, so there are no flies anyway, but will use it again soon.

[trubandloki]

@tazycat;8808906

Seems the stink attracts the flies more,in the garbage it goes.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;8809081]Give it to someone who may have better luck with it.

I will second what Foxtrot said. Give it away, do not toss it out. Let someone else try it. They might like it.

[Kodidog763]

I tried this last year, and really didn’t see much difference, so I went back to my trusty Endure. This year NOTHING was working, so I thought I’d try Ecovet again. It seems to be working this year.

I can’t deal with the smell though (and I spray it outside). I wonder if it’s like cilantro, where some people react differently to it? I had my DH spray it for me, and the smell didn’t bother him. I end up with a severe headache when I spray it.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=Kodidog763;8809760]
I tried this last year, and really didn’t see much difference, so I went back to my trusty Endure. This year NOTHING was working, so I thought I’d try Ecovet again. It seems to be working this year.

I can’t deal with the smell though (and I spray it outside). I wonder if it’s like cilantro, where some people react differently to it? I had my DH spray it for me, and the smell didn’t bother him. I end up with a severe headache when I spray it.[/QUOTE]
some people react differently to it. it’s food grade fatty acids; so it will smell different to different people. i’ve heard everything from it smells like oranges to it smells like rotting meat.

to me, it smells like sour coconut. to me it’s not offensive, but not pleasant either.

so my SO, it smells like chai and cinnamon - he doesn’t love the smell but doesn’t gag… but to my family members, it makes them all gag/heave.

i spray it on a fly bonnet. it definitely works.