Having A Good Insect Control Program Is Essential For The Health Of Your Horse.

Insect control on horses is a major concern for horse owners. Prevention methods are necessary in the stable and on the premises.

Flies, mites, ticks, gnats, lice and mosquitoes are all common insects that can irritate a horse.

Many of these insects can also present health problems, in that they carry equine diseases.

Premise Control

This can be accomplished by any of three methods: Mechanical, Chemical or Natural insect control. You choose which method works best for you.

With all the talk about going green these days, natural, is the number one choice for some. For arguments sake, we will discuss them all.

Mechanical Method

This method involves the use of bug zappers, fly traps and fly paper strips. This method is good for trapping flies in the barn. However, they do very little to control the general fly population. Fly traps and baits can also be very expensive to buy. Check out our horse tips for some homemade fly trap instructions.

Chemical Method

If you choose to use the chemical method of insect control, it should be done on a routine basis.

Permethrin will kill stable flies for up to 8 weeks. These products are usually sprayed where flies roost. Remember to remove all horses before spraying. Make sure it does not contaminate their food or food bowls.

There are mist and foggers that provide quick knockdown. Best times to use these are when the fly activity is at its peak on a daily basis. This is usually in early morning and late evening.

Dichlorvos, (granules) is a fly bait that can be sprinkled on the ground. There are lots of different baits on the market today. You must be very cautious when using these products. Make sure that horses do not have access to fly bait. It can be extremely toxic to horses.

Stirofos is an insecticide present in certain larvicide’s. When added to a horse’s feed on a daily basis, it kills horsefly and stable fly larvae hatching in the manure.

Natural Insect Control

For a lot of people today, natural is the way to go. There are many products today, from shampoos to insect repellants, that are all natural.

The most common type of natural fly control is the fly predators and fly eliminators. These are tiny wasp like insects that feed on fly larvae. The do not bother animals or humans and they are relatively inexpensive when you consider the cost of fly spray, fly traps and fly baits for the entire season.

Take it from me, these little creatures work! I used them and they really are great. I hardly saw a fly for 2 years. Then it happened; my neighbor bought a flock of guinea fowl. (They ate all my fly predators).

Whatever method of insect control works best for you and your situation, is the one you should stick with. Just make sure that you have some type of fly control for horses during peak season. These buggers can make a horse’s life miserable during summer months.