Years ago I made my own fly spray, and was very disappointed with the results. It was disappointing enough that I never tried again, and just hit up the local tack store instead. This seems to be the general consensus from others, as well. It just hard to make good, useful fly spray. After all this time, I want to try again, and hopefully with a recipe that works!
So, what that being said… Give me your 100% guaranteed, or your money back, fly spray recipe!
I’ve never seen a homemade one that lasts nearly as long as a store bought spray, but I find the essential oil based ones last longer than the apple cider based ones. There are a bunch of recipes online, I haven’t really had luck with most of them.
HAAAAA. 100% guarantee? I wish! 100% guarantee would make a gazillion dollars, homemade or not. 
If you define “homemade” broadly you get a very effective product: Repelex Concentrate mixed in your own barn.
Sometimes re-inventing the wheel is an exercise in futility.
G.
If you just want natural, I am having pretty good luck with the CLAC concentrate, but I don’t dilute it as much as it says. I do about 4 to 1 while the jar says 9 to 1. Still have to use it twice a day but it will keep them away for a little while. And it smells good. I spray it on my own legs when I am doing barn work.
Never have used a homemade fly spray that works,water based sprays don’t work either. Oil based are better but don’t last that long either. I spray horses once a day,sometimes i don’t even spray them. Either way they fight flies.
You’ll never have a 100% Guarantee on any fly spray.
If someone comes up with one, they will make a fortune!
Never had a store bought fly spray that works here. I made an essential oil blend, but it’s better for healing fly bites and not repelling.
The only thing that works here are fly sheets/boots.
Yeah, there is no fly spray, homemade or store bought, that works. And by works, I mean keeps flies off for longer than 30 min.
My vet says this season has been the absolute WORST for reactions to bugs, weeds, you name it that she has ever seen in her career.
My 10 yr old gelding was thrown out in a 20 acre pasture in Missouri for 3+ years, and never had a reaction to bugs. This summer, his most-pampered to date (in terms of fly spray, etc.), he has to be on an antihistamine + medicated shampoo and topical spray.
Let me know if you find it . . .
I use a 50/50 blend of witch hazel and apple cider vinegar (with mothers) and add 40 drops of doterra terrasheild essential oil blend and a few other additives for fragrance and repellence depending on what I have such as: lavender, peppermint/spearmint or eucalyptus. Smells great, repels bugs well, makes coat soft and also soothes any existing bites. I can’t use commercial chemical sprays on my sensitive grey.
Our farrier adds a small amount of pines and vinegar to existing fly spray, I am not sure of the percentage of each. This stuff works, the flies were driving my horse bonkers yesterday morning, he asked if I’d like to use some of his fly spray so I did and I swear within 20 seconds the flies were gone. I immediately asked him what was in it and when he told me I was a wee bit concerned but I gotta tell ya it worked wonders. I would never put it on my horse daily, but I plan on putting it on the ext of her stall and save some for really bad fly days.
basic H from shaklee (google it!) is an all-natural cleaner. the recipe is 10 parts water to 1 part basic H. I dilute it much further though (probably 20:1)
it works just as good as any store-bought fly spray ive used. it has virtually no scent.
its much cheaper and easier to mix than any other recipe ive ever seen.
just water and all natural soap.
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