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Feed-thru fly control

Has anyone used products such as Solitude IGR, Farnam Simplifly, or Equitrol II?

(Not asking about the garlic-based ones such as Buggzo/Bug Check - I don’t think those do a darn thing).

I’m wondering if they’ve been effective for you?

I’ve used simplifly for a few years now and love it! Makes a HUGE difference on my small farm.

I have used Solitude and Simplify. I think Solitude works better, but it is more expensive.

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I just learned that the active ingredient in Solitude–cyromezine–can be used as a spray. You mix with water and spray where flies breed (your manure pile!) every few weeks. It’s A LOT cheaper than using the feed through, if you have more than a couple horses.

Here’s the product: https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=74b902d8-230b-4770-9dcd-60552cfb99e6

I’m super tempted to try it this year!

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Simplifly has made a world of difference for my one horse barn.

I’ve been using SimpliFly and/or Equitrol II (basically the same thing) for years with good results.

I’m going to consider using the spray @Simkie posted above.

If you do, please share how it goes! I’d never heard of using it this way, but Valley Vet sent me their livestock catalog…it has ALL SORTS of interesting things that aren’t in the horse version! :rofl: I’d love to hear how you think it does in comparison to the feed throughs!

Hmmm. That’s cool! Fly predators didn’t work so well for me but I am game for trying anything else at least once providing it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

I already started this year’s feed-thru regime several weeks ago. But, I have to re-order the feed-thru fairly soon, so maybe I ought to get the stuff for the spray, instead, and give that a try. Hmmmm. . .

If I do so, I’ll post something about it.

We’ve used Simplifly for a few years and just started for 2021 two weeks ago. I do think it makes a difference, but we combine it with other assault weapons: fly predators, traps, sprays, and manure management. We live in an extremely horsey area, so we still get the neighbors’ flies, but every little thing helps.

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I’ve used Solitude for years. I use it year-round, since I’m in the south, and we have flies year-round.
Using Solitude let me quit using the overhead automatic sprayer. Haven’t turned it on in years.

Unless you pick out your pastures daily, using a spray only on the manure pile won’t do much, since the flies will use the manure in the pastures to propagate. The feed-thru will get into the manure no matter where it is!

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I’ve used both Simplifly and Equitrol, and they do make a big, big difference.

I also use Vectra (which is BRILLIANT) and lots and lots of those reusable fly traps with the stinkly attractant sachets.

I tried fly predators a couple of times, but they weren’t consistently effective enough to warrant the cost, so I won’t be using them this year.

Anyone know of feed-throughs available in Canada? I can’t seem to pull up any in an online search.

Hmmm, these are the only products with cyromazine that appear to be registered in Canada:

https://pr-rp.hc-sc.gc.ca/ls-re/result-eng.php?p_search_label=Cyromazine&searchfield1=NONE&operator1=CONTAIN&criteria1=&logicfield1=AND&searchfield2=NONE&operator2=CONTAIN&criteria2=&logicfield2=AND&searchfield3=NONE&operator3=CONTAIN&criteria3=&logicfield3=AND&searchfield4=NONE&operator4=CONTAIN&criteria4=&logicfield4=AND&p_operatordate=%3D&p_criteriadate=&p_status_reg=REGISTERED&p_searchexpdate=EXP

Maybe a feed through horse product wouldn’t appear there, but it IS a pesticide, so good chance it would? If so, you’ve got nada :frowning:

Thanks for this, Simkie! I just called my vet clinic and they said there are no feed-throughs available in Canada - bummer! That’s the problem with living in a smaller market - manufacturers don’t want to bother paying to register here when they have a solid market in the U.S.

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That’s a bummer!

You COULD try using the products you do have available as a premises spray, like the stuff I linked above–compare labels? Might be worth a go! :grin:

have one horse that is allergic to most of the world, put Vectra 3D on him… No one fly would land on him. His two pasture buddies are being used as test control horses had flies in abundance.

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@Red_Barn & @clanter are you guys talking about this dog product?

https://www.allivet.com/p-9045-vectra-3d-for-dogs.aspx?sku=51277-9

Just apply like a spot on? :thinking:

Yep - the dog product.

I’m not clever enough to think this up myself. I have a hyper-sensitive horse like Clanter’s, and my vet recommended it. She even supplied me with a chart on how to apply it: down the spine from poll to tail; down from the withers to each fore hoof; down from the croup to each hind hoof, and along the belly.

I order the Vectra 3D for extra-large dogs, and use two tunes on the 18h moose, one and a half tubes on the QH, and half a tube on the mini.

Kinda spendy, but worth every penny. :ok_hand:

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Does the fly have to bite in order to die or is it just a contact thing ? How does it repel ?