Fly control

[dungrulla]

So my barn has an awful fly problem. It’s mostly those little black house flies that don’t bite but are a nuisance. So far I’ve done the following:

-Pick up all feces/urine promptly 2-3 times a day
-Manure pile is outside
-Fly predators have been distributed–this killed the horseflies thank CHRIST but doesn’t seem to have affected the smaller ones
-Proximity spray (just fly spray) used at least twice a day in grain and tack areas (grain is covered)
-All spilled food is picked up promptly
-Buckets are washed once a day, or wiped out if they are tacked to the wall
-Fly trap has been placed
-Horses get fly sprays, fly masks if it’s not raining, and fly wipes on faces at least once a day

I’ve ordered a set of feed bags (thanks Texarkana for this suggestion) to prevent food spillage, and have the option to get metered sprays that go off automatically. But these flies are just awful. Is there anything else I can do, or do I have to just live with being swarmed when I go out there? Somehow they’ve gotten inside my house too even though it’s across the property and it’s driving me NUTS.

[SugarCubes]

I’ve had good luck with those metered fly spray dispensers from County Vet in each stall. I also keep my two on Simplifly all summer and between those two I don’t have many flies in the barn.

It is annoying that they manage to find their way into the house though. What about a fly trap somewhere outside your door?

[dungrulla]

@SugarCubes

I’ve had good luck with those metered fly spray dispensers from County Vet in each stall. I also keep my two on Simplifly all summer and between those two I don’t have many flies in the barn.

It is annoying that they manage to find their way into the house though. What about a fly trap somewhere outside your door?

I’m not 100% positive the two are related because the barn is like 200+ yards from the house. But it is annoying as HECK. We have fly tape out in a bunch of spots but still seem to get them indoors. It’s driving me batty.

[SugarCubes]

@dungrulla

I’m not 100% positive the two are related because the barn is like 200+ yards from the house. But it is annoying as HECK. We have fly tape out in a bunch of spots but still seem to get them indoors. It’s driving me batty.

My barn is a little closer to the house than yours and I have the same problem in the house. Super irritating. My horses were at the trainer’s until June and no flies in the house until the horses were back home so…

I keep a fly trap in the garage because that’s the door I usually use when running down to the barn and I actually hung a ziplock with pennies over the door frame too. Not sure if it’s working at all but figured it was worth a shot! Good thing is we only have another month or two of flies!!

[Simkie]

Since you’re using fly predators, be cognizant of where you’re using your fly spray. Using the metered sprayers in the stall, for example, as suggested above, will blanket your bedding in pyrethrin. That pyrethrin, in your manure pile, will quickly kill your fly predators. If you’re spraying your horses in your stalls, that’s the same issue.

I’ve been pretty blase about that in the past, but suuuuuuper careful this year and DAMN what a huge difference. I fly spray the horses in the aisle (and then pay attention to where the aisle sweepings wind up), or in their runs, or in turnout. Never in the stalls. Never, ever fly spray piles of manure in frustration. My flies are minimal (to the point that the farrier comments in surprise!) and the few flies I do have really decrease with each predator shipment.

I’ve been doing fly predators for…five years, maybe? This is the first year I’ve been really, really careful about exposing them to pyrethrins, and the first year I can say for sure that YES, they make a HUGE difference in the number of flies.

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[dungrulla]

@Simkie

Since you’re using fly predators, be cognizant of where you’re using your fly spray. Using the metered sprayers in the stall, for example, as suggested above, will blanket your bedding in pyrethrin. That pyrethrin, in your manure pile, will quickly kill your fly predators. If you’re spraying your horses in your stalls, that’s the same issue.

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Wow this should be an obvious thing. Guess who’s been doing all that AND fly spraying manure out of frustration?

[Simkie]

@dungrulla

Wow this should be an obvious thing. Guess who’s been doing all that AND fly spraying manure out of frustration?

Yeeeeeeaaaaaaah. So. Stop that. :lol: Or stop wasting your $$ on the predators.

It is satisfying seeing those effing flies (and gnats!) on the manure piles fall over dead, though, huh?

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[dungrulla]

@Simkie

Yeeeeeeaaaaaaah. So. Stop that. :lol: Or stop wasting your $$ on the predators.

It is satisfying seeing those effing flies (and gnats!) on the manure piles fall over dead, though, huh?

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LOL this should have been so obvious. I shower between the barn and my office because I keep live arachnids in there. I probably should have remembered that fly predators are also sensitive to pyrethroids.

[Bluey]

I got a neighbor started on fly predators last year and he, now on two years, can’t believe the difference.
He used to have flies all around the door to the house he had to shoo off every time before opening it and those are completely gone now.
His horses quit stomping and are starting to grow longer tails now that they don’t break them off switching so much all day long.
His lab quit having ear sores from the flies.

Those little critters really help if we are careful how we use them.
If they don’t help much in a certain situation, then the metered sprays are a good second option, for what many that use them tell.

[Texarkana]

I hope the feed bags work well for you! Did you order the mesh kind? I rinse mine out after every meal, which is a little annoying (it doesn’t HAVE to be done, but I don’t like it when they get gross. I’m do the same with feed pans), but the trade off of not wasting feed is wonderful.

Fans in the stalls do more to keep the flies down than any spray/trap/husbandry method I employ.

Also, my husband pointed out that the flies were getting in our house through the old window frames (in addition to the door). We got some of THESE clear window sticky traps, which help a lot! Now if only I could keep them out of my truck…

[dungrulla]

I got the solid kind. I figured they’d need rinsing…otherwise they’re gonna get nasty, eew.

[Texarkana]

@dungrulla

I got the solid kind. I figured they’d need rinsing…otherwise they’re gonna get nasty, eew.

Be very careful with the solid kind. They work great, but make sure the horses never wear them around water troughs or water buckets. The horses WILL try to drink with them on (believe it, they will!), and the solid kind doesn’t allow the water to drain, which can result in aspiration.

[MyKindaFlower]

Hi OP,

Be careful where you’re placing your fly traps as well. On the advice of the Spalding Rep, I moved my fly trap out near the manure pile and well AWAY from my barn, paddocks, and house. He explained that putting baited traps in or near the areas where you want to be rid of flies will actually only draw more to that area. It made a HUGE difference in my barn for sure. If we are having a sudden fly appearance, I will put a couple unscented glue traps in my barn or near my paddocks but I change them frequently and only use them while the baited trap and predators catch up on the over-population.

For what it’s worth, the predators don’t typically do anything for horse flies as far as I know. I believe those buggers repopulate in or around water and not manure piles? I’ve also seen a sudden reduction of those beasties so I think maybe we’re just coming to the end of their ‘season’? I use one of those traps w/ the big ball and catch device for those suckers.

Also, you might call the company where you purchase your predators. I know Spalding has had great advice when I’ve needed help. Best of luck! I can’t WAIT for fall this year!

[Goforward]

I started feeding Simplifly and the switched to Solitude this summer. It’s not an overnight solution but once the original fly population died off, I hardly had any flies. I dont use any other control methods.
I changed products because although Simplifly seemed cheaper, it is fed by weight. All my horses are over 1500lbs so I was going through a lot of product. Solitude is I scoop per any weight horse.
I’m super happy with the results.

[ktm_here]

I do the predators and the simplifly. My chickens got into my predators last month and I have noticed a BIG change in fly population. Highly recommend them–just watch where your chickens go!

[fancy.pants]

I started using a service that hauls away my manure, and until then, it is in a COVERED dumpster. Unbelievable difference in flies from the last 10 years! So, move your pile as far from your barn as possible, and throw a tarp over it, weighted with rocks. Or spread it immediately. Maybe that will help…

[Palm_Beach]

@dungrulla

So my barn has an awful fly problem. It’s mostly those little black house flies that don’t bite but are a nuisance. So far I’ve done the following:

-Pick up all feces/urine promptly 2-3 times a day
-Manure pile is outside
-Fly predators have been distributed–this killed the horseflies thank CHRIST but doesn’t seem to have affected the smaller ones
-Proximity spray (just fly spray) used at least twice a day in grain and tack areas (grain is covered)
-All spilled food is picked up promptly
-Buckets are washed once a day, or wiped out if they are tacked to the wall
-Fly trap has been placed
-Horses get fly sprays, fly masks if it’s not raining, and fly wipes on faces at least once a day

I’ve ordered a set of feed bags (thanks Texarkana for this suggestion) to prevent food spillage, and have the option to get metered sprays that go off automatically. But these flies are just awful. Is there anything else I can do, or do I have to just live with being swarmed when I go out there? Somehow they’ve gotten inside my house too even though it’s across the property and it’s driving me NUTS.

Get rid of your manure pile and you will cut way back on the number of flies and your work load. Muck directly into your spreader, and add 1/4 of a 2 quart scoop of lime and 1/2 cup of fertilizer after each stall. Spread on unused paddocks. You will not harm the grass and you will not need to lime and fertilize and you will not have a fly breeding manure pile and you will not need to pay for and baby fly predators.

In August, those tiny little black flies multiply. Spray the horses and wear long pants and you will be complaining about the cold before you know it!

On the direct spreading:
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/AGF-212

[clanter]

@Goforward

I started feeding Simplifly

on the second year using Simplilfy as this product works well for us, easy to use as said it is fed by weight… all of our seven guys have no hesitation in eating it with some grain.

Greatly reduces the fly population.

All stalls if used are picked when the horses are turned out, otherwise they have paddocks for night time and mid heat of the day use…and the paddocks are cleaned afterwards.

One thing that I have been doing is covering all manure when placing it in the compost pile, just using some of the composted material

The nearest other horses to ours is 300 feet.

[Lucie_Too]

Also plugging for Solitude - you have to be consistent about it to yield results, but it really does work amazingly well.

[hosspuller]

We used to have clouds of flies around the horses and us. Since using Equatrol… one scoop per horse per day the flies haven’t been a problem. Ticks are a different problem. Started using a horse pour-on every two weeks. The horses are not so bitten up too.

For the house, with all the traffic, we get bugs inside. Nothing so irritating as a buzz in the ear while in bed trying to sleep. I leave a electric bug zapper on, at the other end of the house. It’s satisfying to hear the crack at night.