Fighting Flies Is a Small but Important Part of Owning a Horse

If you have a horse, you have flies around. If you have a horse in Poway, you are very aware that flies—jokingly, of course—are our “national bird.”

Flies are everywhere from our beaches to our mountains. Communities like Poway are no different and have a multitude of flies. They are just part of the business and part of our lives. They are pests and drive our horses crazy. They drive me crazy too. The warmer it gets the more the flies multiply, so how do you protect your horses and your home? 

I prefer not to use chemicals on or near my horses, but I know that at times it is necessary. I have a fly mask with ear covers for each horse. I also have a fly sheet for each horse. I am lucky enough to have horses that like the protection from the biting nuisances, so they don’t rip their masks or sheets very often.

I am aware that many of you aren’t so lucky and your horse may wear a mask for a day or two then rip it off somehow, and to heck with a fly sheet. One of my gal pals has a horse that may have a sheet on for five seconds, then bye-bye! He rubs against the fence and rrrriiiiipppp–there it goes (he also won’t wear a winter blanket, the silly horse). That can get expensive and frustrating. 

I have found websites and stores that offer sales on these items from time to time, such as . When I find a good price I buy at least one extra mask or sheet for each horse, or as many as I can afford then store them in the linen closet until I need them. My horses are done growing, except for the outward direction, so the size they wear won’t change and the straps are adjustable, so as they gain weight I can let the straps out. (Notice I didn’t mention losing weight—ha!)

I have also purchased fly sheets on eBay and have been very pleased. Of course, purchasing online runs the risk of not liking an item, since you can’t see or touch it before you buy it.

Masks and sheets cover most of the horse, but what about their legs? Cricket is lucky in having a thicker coat than Jane. The flies have a more difficult time biting Cricket on the legs, but poor Jane gets eaten up if I don’t protect her. I’ve tried those will-not-stay-on leg nets. A waste of money, at least for me. I can’t get them to stay on my horse for two seconds.

I have to use chemical fly repellent on Jane’s legs. I’ve tried them all and have found that they generally all work the same regardless of price. They are all good short term, but must be applied at least daily, even if they state on the label they don’t need to be.

I did find, however, that the roll-on type works best and seems to really keep the flies off of Jane’s legs for the longest, sometimes all day while I’m working. I certainly can’t use the roll-on all over her body, but on her legs it works like a charm. I think the label said something about it being “for use on face and around the eyes” and “easy application” and it’s true, but again I don’t want chemicals dripping into the eyes of my horse, so I just use it on her legs, not her face.

I shake it up and roll it down each of Jane’s legs on the front, back and both sides and she has protection from the flies. It’s exactly like the roll-on deodorant made for people and the product is thick and smooth, not oily, and doesn’t drip. 

I’ve never tried fly predators, but intend to this year. Pteromalidae, fly parasites, live on or near manure and are a chemical-free way to control flies. These little “bugs” are a natural predator of flies and only go after the fly larvae. The female parasites seek out fly larvae in the manure and lay their eggs in them, killing them. Each female predator can lay between 50 and 100 eggs, which equals that many less flies!

As I was shopping around I found the Organic Cowboy website. They say that their blend of fly parasites includes Spalangia cameroni, Muscidifurax zaraptor and Muscidifurax raptorellus and that this “mix of multiple strains provides you the ability to control houseflies, stable flies and horn flies.”

I am all too familiar with the housefly. I sure wish I could keep them out of my house! I had no idea what a horn fly is or even the stable fly, so I looked them up during my research for a chemical-free way to control bugs. From what I could gather I most likely have all of these flies around my ranch and in my house during the warm months.

Valley Vet is another resource for fly predators, and of course you can Google “fly predator” and do your own research and shopping. They don’t seem to be expensive and are a chemical-free way to control pests. The fly predators can take time to work and make a noticeable difference. I’ll let you know how they work out. 

Every time someone enters or exits the house, flies get in. In and around my home I have fly strips hanging out in the warm months. I place them in my garage, kitchen, bedrooms and patio. They are unsightly and sticky but do the trick. My family has gotten stuck to these nuisances a time or two, which completely grosses them out!

I don’t like having to hang them, so I have a few pitcher plants, which are a chemical-free way to control pests in the home. There are something like 90 species of carnivorous plants so I thought I’d try it. They are inexpensive—of course, that depends on your point of view. I got mine for $15 each, so certainly worth a try.

These are recent purchases so I’ll have to see how they do. Hopefully I don’t kill them and they do a nice job of pest control. They are much more attractive than the hideous, sticky fly strips hanging about. If they work, I will say “so long” to the fly strips and get more pest-eating plants.