That’s right, pesky flies can be drinking up to four cups of your horse’s blood every ten days! Not only are they blood-sucking nuisances, but they can be carrying diseases that pose a threat to your horse’s health. Here are some pest protection tips for horses to start your season.

Facility Management

Manage the environment. No, you can’t manage the entire outdoors. But you can do your best to control the immediate environment to minimize its appeal to nuisance flies, ticks and insects. Be sure your pasture is free of brush, weeds and hanging limbs. Eliminate standing water. Manage manure disposal. Consider the use of a permethrin-based premise spray and/or non-stinging fly predator wasps, also called parasitoids. They eat fly larvae in manure, decreasing the number of flies hatching.

Choose a fly spray appropriate for your climate, insect intensity and horse’s activity level. Not all fly sprays are alike and some are more suited to specific needs. Reach for The Fly Spray in the Black Bottle,™ UltraShield® EX, for the most challenging conditions. It kills more than 70 species of biting and nuisance flies, mosquitoes, ticks and gnats and is weatherproof for up to 17 days. With its seven essential oils, UltraShield® Green is ideal for eco-safe protection for the entire family. Rotate in UltraShield® Red with five-way protection for everyday activity. In hot, humid or rainy weather, try sweat-resistant UltraShield® Sport.

Fly Spray Labels

Examine the product label and use according to directions. The product label will tell you what the active ingredients are as well as how to apply the product. Other tips to look for on the label include how often to apply, where to stand when applying, and whether or not the product is safe for foals, lactating mares and dogs. The label will also provide information about proper disposal.

Turnout Gear

Consider additional layers of protection for your horse. Is the insect activity in your area such that a fly sheet is warranted? What about a fly mask to keep those pesky creatures away from your horse’s eyes and/or ears? Can you alter your horse’s turnout schedule to avoid high insect activity time periods?

Vaccinations

Vaccinate to protect your horse against disease. Flying insects, ticks and gnats are not only nuisances – they can carry and spread various diseases. Be sure to vaccinate for the core diseases as recommended by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and consult your veterinarian to see if there are any other diseases he/she is concerned with based upon activity level in your geographic area.

We hope you enjoyed our pest protection tips for horses! For more information, go to endflyfrustration.com.