Topical, long-lasting bug repellents (NOT fly sprays)

[Edre]

We are in the crosshairs of a really tough bug year - even horses that aren’t typically reactive to bites are getting welts and a couple horses are getting reactions that are causing some serum to seep and then crust over (which they find itchy rather than sore & painful). Most of these reactions are happening on their undercarriage (right in front of mares’ udders, at their navel area, or just behind the girth region - some are also having this high up between their thighs).

I’ve considered the fly sheets with the belly bands but based on the location of some of these bites (inner thighs, udders) they wouldn’t actually block the sites in question.

So I’m onto another idea: the topical, long-lasting repellents (like Farnam’s Equi-spot or Manna’s Pro-force 50). Even if they don’t last as long as the packaging recommends, if it can offer more relief than fly spray, I will consider it a worthwhile investment.

Does anyone have experience with a long-lasting topical application for bug repellents? Which worked? Which didn’t? Are there any you’d recommend (or recommend avoiding)?
My mare (& friends) thank you for your guidance

[Simkie]

I’ve had a terrible year for gnats, too, and think that’s the issue you’re describing with bites and itchy and scabbing on the under carriage.

I haven’t found much to help, not even the spot on type repellents. I took a lemon eucalyptus repellent and mixed that with zinc oxide ointment, and that’s been probably better than anything, but still doesn’t last more than a day.

I haven’t tried deet, but that might be the next step.

[Horsecrazy3]

Neem oil. Must be diluted to use. Recipe is 2 tablespoons neem oil, 2 cups water and a squirt of dish soap for emulsifying the neem oil. Or add it to your existing fly spray at 2 tablespoons/per 2 cups fly spray. Causes male no-see-ums to be sterile. Also stops flies from bothering your horse. Only ingredient that stopped my geldings sweet itch, reduced my farm’s no-see-ums numbers and keeps all the other bugs off him. I spray every other day.

[MapleFarm]

just test neem on a small spot first! learned that the hard way…some horses are sensitive to it.

I, too, am having more problems than normal. I am using various ointments in the bad spots which at least seems to protect the areas, but it comes off in half a day. Spot-on doesn’t do much for my horses…maybe a bit against ticks but not amazing.

[Edre]

Agreed, it is definitely the gnats. Have you found anything that helps heal/bring relief? I’ve been trying corona and it keeps it from getting too crusty, but it’s not doing much. Silver honey is next on my list to try.

[Simkie]

My go to is zinc oxide ointment, and it does work to heal the oozy or scabby spots. It also helps with bites just from a physical barrier aspect, but it’s not like you can slather the entire underside of the horse with it every day :-/

Lemon eucalyptus is supposed to be a better repellent for gnats than the pyrethrins/permethrins. It’s not miraculous by any stretch, but does something. Maybe.

It’s sure been a sucky year for this sort of thing!

[endlessclimb]

Ditto with the gnats, in the same locations as OP describes.

I’ve used SWAT with good success in keeping them off.

[Dr_Doolittle]

I was going to suggest Swat, it works reliably well for this and is my “go to.” Has gotten pretty pricey though.

[luvmyhackney]

I haven’t tried this yet but my husbands golf buddies swear this clip thing works.

InfusenClip™

[PaddockWood]

Give Honey Heel by Red Horse Products a try. I’m in love with this stuff so much I just bought the 500 ml container and bet it will last all summer. And it’s not toxic in any way.

I’ve got a patch of it going on my mare’s underside just behind her girth area where she gets itchy, oozy, crusty and little black flies sit there in the past and torture her. No longer a problem. Honey Heel dries out and forms a dried paste-like patch and lasts much longer than zinc oxide cream.

Now that we’ve got those little green nasty horse flies starting and they are landing on her udder and biting I’ve applied it there and voila - they aren’t landing.

I also use Swat but when it’s warm it just melts.

Next week with the heat wave will be a test for everything. Shit. But I have a feeling Honey Heel will be a winner still.

[ClassyJumper]

Has anyone tried a picaridin based spray? Is it safe for horses? I wandered into the camping aisle of Walmart also desperate to find something. I ended up just getting deep woods off but there seemed to be a lot of new sprays with picaridin… google says it’s a safe alternative to deet

[emeraldcity]

picaridin in my experience works better than DEET, particularly on mosquitos. I have this- https://www.farnam.com/all-products/fly-insect-control/dual-defense which is meant for both human and horse. I can’t speak to gnats specifically, but for mosquitos it is the best thing I’ve used. I use picaridin (that one or whatever version I have at home) always rather than DEET for myself now.

[SusanO]

I live in Bubba County Alabama which I think is the gnat capital of the world. They do more swarming into your eyeballs than biting but they still bite. My horses come in when they are out and have a fan blowing on them. The horses get pretty upset in the pasture unless they can come in to get away from them.

I use lemon eucalyptus spray to keep the gnats off me while I am working outside. But I do not spray it directly on me - I spray a baseball cap that I put on my head. Or maybe on my shirt sleeves, not on my skin. I do spray the dock of the tail on one horse. It works OK - does not seem to be as effective for mosquitos. Does not irritate the tail of the horse. I am not sure I would count on it to keep biting gnats off a horse long term. Sure it is one tool in the toolbox but not a cure. We have gnats here about 9 months of the year but they are not as vicious biters as other places. We are having torrential showers here which temporarily send the gnats into hiding. but once it dries out they will be awful.

[Simkie]

Gawd I don’t find swat to help with gnats much at all. Wish it would.

@ClassyJumper

Has anyone tried a picaridin based spray? Is it safe for horses?

Yeah, there used to be a horse (and people and dog) picaridin spray called Centaura. It worked pretty well but was expensive and they discontinued it awhile ago. I keep meaning to try one of the people versions for the horses. I have an old bottle of Centaura I still use on the dog.