Horse Flies: Prevention And ControlHorse flies. Ugh. I try to be accommodating; I try to appreciate their place in the natural world, helping to decompose rotting organic matter. But really, I hate them. They bite, they pester, they lay eggs in open wounds and spread disease. So I don't feel that bad about disliking them. Here's a mind boggling statistic: each female fly can lay up to 900 eggs. Natural predation and good sanitation reduce the number of hatchlings to between 2-4% but just a small change in moisture or sanitation can increase that number rapidly. Good sanitation is the first step in controlling horse flies. All outside trash and manure areas should be kept clean. Cover garbage tightly and dispose of trash and manure weekly. Eliminate other sources breeding material including rotting hay, loose straw and mulch. If you're composting, keep inactive piles covered. If you have fruit trees, remove fallen fruit from ground. Be on the lookout for dead animals. One little squirrel can produce more that one thousand blow flies if left unattended. Call the county road department for larger 'bodies' like deer. The Poop Connection Manure is the largest single source of horse fly problems. Flies love it and you've probably got (literally) tons of it. Daily collection of fresh manure helps to control horse flies. A properly constructed manure collection area will produce enough heat to keep breeding flies at a minimum. Clean stalls, corrals, paddocks, pens and shed at least once a week, more if possible. House flies take a minimum of 8 days to emerge during summer, so regular, proper disposal will keep populations down. Fly Control Weeds and tall grasses provide a cool, moist environment for fly nests. Keep grasses and weeds under control to discourage nesting. Attractant Traps Attractant traps use a non poisonous attractant to lure flies to their entrapment and death. Most of these traps are for House Flies. They usually have a range of 100 to 150 feet and can be thrown away when full. Placement is important. If you don't have a big fly problem and you put up a bunch of these, flies from the surrounding area may head on over. You'll have more flies than when you started. Set the traps near breeding sites and away from eating or recreation areas at a height of less than 4 feet. Sticky Fly Traps These traps can be hung inside horse stables or barns. They don't attract, they just...are sticky. They are safe and effective if hung in the sun at a height of less than 4 feet. There are also specialty traps available for horse, deer and stable flies. Other Non Toxic Solutions Fly Predators are small, "good bugs" that take over the fly's cocoon and kill the immature fly. It's good versus evil on a very small scale. Dung Beetles breed, feed and tunnel in, obviously, dung. Their activity breaks up and dries the manure, making it undesirable as a breeding area. Dung beetles populations are destroyed by dewormer residue in manure; select a dewormer that offers lower toxicity to beetles and other beneficials such as Fort Dodge's Quest (R). Mites are everywhere, including the favorite breeding sites of stable and house flies. They feed on fly eggs and maggots. They are your friends! Cultivate their populations by keeping manure piles dry, ventilated and well drained. Avoid larvaecides. Horse flies are more than just a nuisance. They can spread diseases such as swamp fever (equine infectious anemia) and equine sleeping sickness as well as allergies. If your horse stomps at them enough, she could get shoe boils on her elbow, belly sores and abscesses. Making your home or farm less fly friendly will help to prevent and control fly problems.
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