ingredients is,
clove oil
thyme oil
cinnamon oil
lemongrass oil
peppermint oil
other ingredients
Isopropyl myristate 2-propanol
Says nothing about being water based if it was it wouldn’t work,not for the amount of bugs we have.
I Spray horses and bugs are GONE . NO water based spray has that effect,bugs aren’t fazed by water based sprays here.
Before this spray i was using deepwoods off and that became ineffective.
My point was that all horse fly sprays break down into two categories.
Essential oils, which have limited staying power. Home formulas tend to rely on these.
Pyrethin or permethrin formulas, which vary only in the carrying formula, which can extend effectiveness in some conditions. Exposure to sun and rain will degrade these two chemicals.
The two outliers are Ecovet with the fatty acid formula, and the new picaridin formula for Centaura.
In other words, the various fly spray are all very similar and I would expect only minor differences between them. My guess is that frequency and quantity of application matter too between users. My guess is that there wouldn’t be huge differences between these sprays unless one had a major fail in its carrier solution.
Going into a trial, you might want to stack up Ecovet, Centaura, and a good quality pyrethin/permethrin brand to see if there’s a significant difference.
Honestly I don’t see much point in my investing energy in other people’s home remedies.
This has made me curious to try Ecovet and Centaurs.
This is a mix of essential oils in an emollient base. I would predict good repellancy at first but because essential oils are so volatile, that it might not last that long.
So far so good two days in but i mix it with pyrethrin 10 about half of each in a spray bottle. Lasting 24 hours spray in am and don’t need to spray till next morning. We shall see how it does after a few weeks, if it quits being effective i’ll go back to the spray i used last year that has diesel in it. Seems most sprays only work for so long then quit working if used to regular. Will change up what i mix with Nature’s Force hopefully it will keep it effective.
Those are active ingredients. BASE is what makes up the rest. Don’t think there are any oil based natural fly sprays out there…pretty sure this one is also water based.
Dip your finger in it. Is is oily like baby oil? No? Then it’s water based.
Do your horses pick up a scum of dirt as soon as they’re sprayed? No? Then it’s water based.
The fact the instructions also say to shake well also leads me to believe it’s water based.
Can anyone who understands the difference between water and oil based, and has this stuff, tell us which this one is?
I expect it’s the pyrethins that are giving long lasting protection. What is Pyrethin 10, is that a 10 % pyrethin solution for agricultural pesticide use? If so you are ending up with a 5 % pyrethin fly spray which is considerably stronger than commercial horse formulations.
Ultrashield by comparison is .5 % permthrin and .1% pyrethin.
OP, I hope you find something that works for you! I don’t think people are saying what they use is better than what others use. Rather, I think they are trying to help you find an alternative that may work in your situation. It really does seem to depend on climate, what has been used heavily in your area previously, the conditions of your property and also neighboring properties, and even the individual horses (coloring, skin secretions, sweat production, and such).
What I’ve found is along the same lines as others who have responded. What works well for a period of time becomes less effective at some point. I assume it’s because the insects develop a resistance?
I had GREAT results w/ Eco Vet up until this year. It’s still working well for black flies, horse flies, deer flies, and ticks but mosquitos, stable flies, and house flies are not as bothered by it anymore.
Clac (also called Deolotion) has been my go to for years to repel mosquitos and to boost up the effects of the Eco Vet if need be. Now, the house flies are not deterred. I’m having better luck by layering Outsmart under the Eco Vet or even the Absorbine Black or Red in very hot/humid weather. The Outsmart makes my beasts all want to roll so it must tingle.
I did try a product this year that appears to be similar to Eco Vet called Fly Bye Plus. I was hoping I could rotate that into my system for a year and then return to Eco Vet. Unfortunately, one of my horses had a reaction to that one although it does repel the bugs on my other two. It is greasy, you spray more than you do of the Eco Vet, and it leaves a film, so it’s not my favorite. It may work really well for others though.
Oh, and I saw really good results w/ Essentria a few years ago when mixed w/ mineral oil and wiped on the horses. Another of my herd was allergic to that one and that was the end of that. I was using the remainder of the concentrate as a stall spray (mixed w/ water instead of oil) but it seemed to lose it’s effectiveness very quickly.
Sorry I couldn’t point you to any studies, OP! While I can’t offer you scientific data, I did try to give you some options that have worked for me in the past with the hopes that one of them might work for you for a period of time as well.
Best of luck.
Yes its 10% pyrethrin, makes sense that it being mixed with nature’s force ,is making it more effective.
@Simkie no its not oily I checked. Guess it not saying water based means nothing. I was incorrect on saying it was oil based.
Seems to work really good mixed with pyrethrin 10% maybe on its own it wouldn’t be so good. I’m not a huge fan of natural sprays but this one seems pretty good…until it’s not.
What you’ve got in the end is a pyrethin spray that is 50 times stronger than the commercial spray. I’d say that’s the whole explanation there. Wonder if there’s a down side to usng such a high concentration? Any warnings on the pesticide bottle?
Adding some amount of 10% pyrethrin to some amount of something without pyrethrin doesn’t equal a 10% pyrethrin concentration. It’s something less than that. Exact number depends on how much 10% pyrethrin is going into that quart bottle of non pyrethrin.
Mykindaflower --I am happy with Repel-X —works for me and I control the concentration based on time-of-year. My question was simply if there was any definitive research --or any research for that matter --that showed the efficacy of commercial fly spray or the homemade concoctions. It appears the answer is no.
Meanwhile, my little mind has been educated by Scribbler --thank you! --I understand better now. Further, I am contemplating my own “backyard study” --with my own photos, fly sprays, and distilled water as a control. I think I would use Repel-x and three other varieties and maybe someone’s homemade brew --I already have four horses who have volunteered their tender hides. I would spray thoroughly, one with each kind; then in 15-20 min take a photo or video might be better (foot stomping, tail swishing) —then the next day, switch up and do the same thing. I’d probably repeat over 16 days to make sure I had three “tries” with each spray --and compare results. Wish I had some grad student to count flies and tail swishes!
Geesh, it would really suck to be the horse who is sprayed with distilled water! Poor guy!
I understood the poster to say she mixed Pyrethin 10 half and half with an essential oils “natural” spray. That was how I calculated the final result to be 5 % pyrethin. I agree it’s unlikely to be measured that carefully. But it’s still likely to be much much stronger than the commercial formulation.
I think a lot of formulas mght be effective for 15 or 20 minutes, including the essential oils. The more difficult achievement is something that really works for 24 hours. The oils are volatile and evaporate, which is what gives them odor and effectiveness. But that fades within a few hours.
So do an observation the next day before you reapply.
You might also need to wash the horses between applications because if one of your formulas does offer some degree of multi day protection that will interfere with your results.
Don’t forget that a lot of flies/bugs hunt by sight and not smell so fly spray is useless for a lot of them.
Fly spray is one of the biggest marketing scams out there ;).
Guessing it’s an ounce or two to a quart.
“Which made the difference stunningly obvious when I got ACV into him ten days before blackfly season (he had only one ridge of bites).”
What is ACV?
There ![](s a book out called Insect Repellents Handbook - second edition.
Here’s info on it:
The public has a great desire for products that prevent the annoyance of biting insects and ticks, but that desire does not always translate into sensible use of those products. Insect Repellents Handbook, Second Edition" "summarizes evidence-based information on insect repellents to inform decisions by those involved with insect repellent research, development, and use. This authoritative, single-volume reference makes it possible for the individual to gain a working level of expertise about insect repellents in a timely manner, without having to search through the literature. The book includes a thought-provoking discussion on how repellents work, their neuromolecular basis of action, and whether green chemistry can provide effective repellents. It also supplies an in-depth understanding of the development of repellents including testing methods, review of active ingredients, and the use of chemical mixtures as repellents. It provides various science-backed chapters on repellent use including best practices for use of personal protection products, criteria for repellent use, and insect repellents for other potential use. The previous edition was the first comprehensive volume on this subject, and it is recognized as a key reference on insect repellents. This second edition reflects the current state of insect repellent science, covers the processes involved in the development and testing of new active ingredients and formulations, and discusses the practical uses of repellents.
[IMG]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51TQMUBcmqL.SX347_BO1,204,203,200.jpg)
So this is probably the study (in book form) you are looking for. It’s pricey though – 70+ bucks on Amazon but you can rent the Kindle edition for 15.00.
Apple cider vinegar.
They may aim for something they see, but there’s no denying that each insect has its “garlic”, some scent which repels it, if it’s present at a high enough concentration. The question then becomes, are you using the right scent for the insects you are trying to repel.
The Nature’s Force’s base/carrier is Isopropyl myristate, which is a combination of isopropyl alcohol and myristic acid. Myristic acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid, and that is what is necessary to allow the essential oils to mix into the whole formulation - oils don’t mix with alcohol or water.
So it’s really alcohol-based. The alcohol will evaporate pretty quickly, leaving the myristic acid and the EOs. And then yes, the EOs will dissipate quickly as well. I like to use something like this for rides when I can, since IME they do tend to work well short-term, but they pretty much suck for turnout.
Y’all should post your location along with your observations, please!
I know fly species vary across the country, so Best Fly Spray has got to vary, too.
Thanks!
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