DIY Fly Control Solutions for Horses

Flies are one of the most annoying pests for horses. They irritate, cause infections, and are nuisances. In some horses, fly bites can cause allergic reactions that become far more serious than a simple irritation. Getting rid of and controlling flies in your barn is critical to the well-being and happiness of your horses.

  1. Remove Manure and Trash

    • The simplest and most important step for fly control is removing manure. By controlling the source of their food and spawning area, you are controlling their population. Flies look for manure- or urine- drenched soil to lay their eggs in. The maggots feed off this filth and then turn to adults, which repeats the cycle. By moving the manure away from your horses, you are keeping the flies away as well. Make it a point to clean your stalls, paddocks and pastures regularly, and make sure the manure pile is away from where the horses are stabled. The same applies for any trash you may have at your barn. Empty it regularly and remove it from the premises. Destroy any maggots you find and try to eliminate as much of the fly breeding ground as possible.

    Fly Tape

    • Fly tape is a tried-and-true method of controlling flies. You can purchase these from any feed store and from many grocery stores. Hang them about eye level, as this is where flies tend to land and stay. Look for major "fly hang-outs" and stack the tapes deep in those areas. These work great because flies like to land where their buddies are. So as more and more flies get stuck to the tape, more and more flies will land there. It is an old method, but it works!

    Chemical Warfare

    • There are tons of chemicals you can buy to kill and repel flies. But if you are searching for simpler solutions, you can use lime and bleach. Lime is a powerful drying agent that is often used when stripping stalls. Throwing lime on a wet urine spot will effectively kill any maggots. The same applies for bleach. Just take care when you use these chemicals not to breathe in the fumes, as they can be as deadly for you as they are for the maggots and flies. If removing the horse from the stable is not an option, and you need to treat the infested wet spot immediately, you can purchase garden lime, a safer form of the same chemical, and apply it directly to the maggots. This will kill them without the harmful side effects of full-strength lime.

    Simple Water

    • Another, very simple solution that requires nothing more than water and heat, is to pour boiling water over maggots. This kills them instantly and has no adverse reactions whatsoever to the environment.