How to Eliminate Bot Eggs

There are three different species of bot flies (genus Gasterophilus), but all three species are internal horse parasites. Bot flies typically lay tiny yellow eggs on individual hairs during the warm days of late summer and early fall. Although the largest concentration of these eggs tends to be on the horse's lower inner foreleg areas, they can also be found on the animal's belly, shoulders, flanks and even in mane hairs. The benign appearance of bot eggs belies the danger they harbor. Your horse will lick the egg-infested areas, causing the larvae to hatch immediately. The horse will swallow the newly-hatched bot larvae, which will migrate to the gastrointestinal tract and settle in to wreak their havoc. Fortunately for the horse owner, it's relatively easy to eliminate bot eggs from your horse's life.

Things You'll Need

  • Vinegar
  • Disposable plastic safety razor
  • Antiparasite medication, such as Ivermectin
  • Coarse sandpaper (optional)
  • Equine insect repellent
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lead your horse to an area well away from the pasture, stall, and places where animals eat to avoid further bot fly contamination. A gravel or asphalt driveway works well for this. Secure the horse as you would for routine grooming purposes.

    • 2

      Inspect your horse's coat and mane carefully for the presence of bot eggs. Pay particularly close attention to the animal's legs, flanks, shoulders, throat, chin, lips, and the undersides of its jaws.

    • 3

      Saturate a rag with warm vinegar. Press it to a bot fly egg-infested spot on your horse and hold it there for about 30 seconds. The damp warmth will cause the larvae to hatch, and the vinegar will kill them. This home remedy will destroy a great many of the bot larvae and will help to keep fallen eggs from infecting other livestock.

    • 4

      Shave the eggs from the horse's hairs with a disposable plastic safety razor.

    • 5

      Repeat the process to remove any newly arrived bot eggs as needed throughout the remainder of the summer and fall.

    • 6

      Treat your horse with a boticide such as Ivermectin 30 days after the first killing frost in your area. This will effectively break the bot fly's reproductive cycle and eliminate the parasites from your pet.