What fly traps do you use? What works?
This is the first year i have had large horse flies on my farm. Usually we only have horn flies or stable flies.
”‹”‹”‹”‹
We never had them either, until a few showed up one year - any is too many:mad:. My next door neighbor went in with me on getting an Epps Biting Fly trap: https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/epps-biting-fly-trap/natural-insecticides-repellents-horses
We set it up, it very quickly collapsed the admittedly limited biting fly population, and we no longer need to use it. It is pricey, and the elements didn’t hold up that great (we had to replace the “wings” with something more durable of our own design, plus the lower tray eventually rusted and had to be repaired), but it worked when we needed it.
I would not recommend the Bite Free Stable Fly trap: https://www.jefferspet.com/products/bite-free-stable-fly-trap-14-tall?via=5338848b9fa2600f00000196%2F533884939fa2600f00000239%2F5575d5f8f2131d17f6000115, as it caught songbirds :grief:, so we took it down asap.
1 Like
Unfortunately we have ticks this year as well. We never had ticks before this!!! I pulled 2 off my mares udder today. Something bit her on the tail because now she has a bald spot that she rubbed out. Ugh! It’s going to be a lonnng summer.
Yuck on the ticks!
Only good thing about the fire ants moving in was that they got rid of the ticks, IME. Around here, properties with fire ants don’t have ticks.
1 Like
you can buy the horse traps and they do work they can catch upto 40000 of them i use them i buy them from wilkinson but i am in uk lol its like afunnel system you filll the bottom with warm water and the chemical then shove the trap thing on top and peg it up where you like… once full you dispose of it can go in normal waste but i [ut it in my burny pot
I’m trying fly predators for the first time this year. I also bought Starbar Trap N toss traps. I think it has reduced the stable/biting flies. But the horse and deer flies are still terrible.
Anyone used the ranch fly traps?
The Horse Pal trap is pricey, but it works. I’ve had mine for a few years now although this year I had to order some replacement parts. It’s as good as new again, and it had caught at least a dozen horse flies within a few hours of me putting it out last weekend.
1 Like
After being chased out of my hay shed by a horse fly this morning, I plan on building something like this. Not super attractive but appears to be functional. I also have the starbar trap n toss traps, but those rarely get anything bigger than a stable fly (they are amazing for regular flies though–highly recommend).
I removed all my star bar traps and had fewer flies as a result. Apparently they can attract neighboring flies up to 1/4 mile. Using fly predators for house flies. The blow flies stopped coming when I removed the star bar traps.
@Redemption3 Interesting, I didn’t realize they were attracted from that far. This is the first year I’ve used them since I’ve started composting manure and figured it would draw more flies.
I have fly predators as well but I started a little late so I’m not sure that they’ve been super effective. Maybe I’ll see how the fly issue is without the starbar traps for awhile.
The fly traps should be placed away from areas that attract flies. I was using them in areas where flies were most common. The traps would fill up very quickly and it was frustrating. When I learned that fly traps attract flies and I can hear pigs somewhere on a rural road nearby , I removed them all instead of relocating them. I figured why attract someone else’s flies? The fly predators work very well in my goat and horse paddocks. Where the hens free range I guess the hens are eating them and there are some flies. Overall with fly predators it is much better for the horse, heifer, goats and dogs. Fewer flies by far than without fly predators. Best wishes…
I love my Horse Pal trap. I set it up today and caught ALL of the horseflies attacking my horse – 6 big, mean ones. It also catches hornets and wasps, which are bad around my barn. I thought the trap was expensive, but, it’s in great shape and it works so well – without harming any other species, or using any toxins, or requiring refills of anything. Great product.
1 Like
A super fast way with daily disposal…
I grab a muck tub. Put some beetpulp and Ultium in the bottom, wet it down, then drape sticky fly ribbons all over the top of the bucket.
Buy the sticky ribbons at Wallmart. They are in the garden section and are cheaper.
Otherwise I hang those plastic containers that come with the fly attractant that smells like sweet rotten fly asshole.
I empty them by digging a hole, dumping all the dead flies and maggots into the hole, quickly covering the hole, and then running from the hole shaking my hands all about. Sometimes I scream “eeeeewie” as I run. Sometimes I gag.
