Eco Friendly Equestrian: Insect Repellants
We’ve tried everything to get rid of those annoying little critters! Those pesky flies are nearly impossible to destroy single handedly, but have no fear! There are some eco-friendly fly solutions on the market now that actually work!
My personal favorite are fly predators! I’m sure you’ve received many little brochures and ads with your orders from SmartPak or other horsey stores. I finally decided to read one a few years ago and I was amazed by what they claimed this product could do. I decided that it wasn’t too expensive to try (around $20 for 1-5 horses per month) and if it didn’t work, well, at least I can check it off the list! So, when I received these little guys in the mail, I had to wait a few days before they all hatched to release them. And when I say release them, I mean I had to walk around the pasture and find fresh manure piles to sprinkle them onto! haha! My parents and husband all thought this was highly amusing! Then, I sprinkled some in Dancer’s stall/run and some in areas that I know he likes to hang out in. I waited a week or so…nothing happened. But by the second week I did notice a reduction in flies! At the end of the month, the flies were almost gone! I now recommend this product to everyone I know! I can’t live without it!
Another favorite of mine is the Ultra Shield “Green” fly spray. Dancer has always had sensitive skin and has had some bad reactions (welts and itchy skin) to other brands of fly spray. I’ve always had to use the Ultra Shield Ex – in the black bottle – because it’s the only one he doesn’t have reactions to. The green stuff isn’t quite as powerful as the black bottle, but it still works better than the other brands in my opinion. I like the fact that I don’t have to worry about the harsh chemicals on both Dancer and I, because let’s face it – it always ends up blowing back on you!
Something else that I like to do in the summer is give Dancer 1 tsp of garlic powder in the morning. Garlic is absorbed into the horse’s system and when those annoying pests fly over to take a bite out of our equine friends, they’re met with a mouth full of garlic! And they don’t like it! Yes, your horse’s breath might smell like he’s been sneaking out to the Italian restaurant in town, but it really isn’t super strong. I know people who won’t give their horses garlic because they think it smells, and I think that a hint of garlic on my horse’s breath is worth the extra protection from insects! Also, garlic is a natural anti-biotic and I’ve heard that the sulfur it contains can also help reduce parasites! It takes a week or two to “kick in”, but I think you’ll notice a difference!
And if you can keep plants alive, try planting Basil! Lavender, Mint & Rosemary are also known to repel flies! And marigolds are said to repel mosquitoes! I’ve planted basil and marigolds – both from seeds – and so far they’ve survived my black thumb! They’re still pretty small, so I haven’t noticed if they’ve worked or not but I also haven’t seen many flies or mosquitoes on my porch! When they get bigger, I plan to move some down to the barn.
One other great thing about these eco friendly solutions: they’re much cheaper than the alternatives! How often do you hear that in the horse world?!
