ArizonaRealCountry.com 5 February 2019 It’s been a mild winter and with that comes warm weather, sunshine—and flies. Climate conditions vary every season, and different species can move into new areas. Sometimes reaching for the same old fly spray just isn’t good enough. Reviewing your control strategies every year is a good idea. Here’s a brief overview of the species that might be out there and what you can do to protect your horses from them. FLY SPECIES, HABITS AND HABITATS The first step to stopping flies is to identify the offenders—many look very similar, but often the different species can be identified by their unique behaviors and habitats. And they are best controlled by strategies that target their lifestyles. Here are the flies most likely to be bothering your horses: • Stable flies look like house-flies, but they inflict painful bites, most often on a horse’s legs, but also on the belly, face and neck. They can be found around livestock practically anywhere in the country, but they will reach their peak in warmer climates, especially in hotter, wetter weather. Stable flies prefer bright sunny areas and tend not to enter dark enclosures. • Horseflies and deerflies inflict painful bites that bleed. Deerflies tend to attack the head and neck, smaller horseflies bite on the legs, and the larger ones feed on the horse’s back. These types of flies lay their eggs in moist soil or vegetation near ponds, marshes and other bodies of water and are most commonly found in or within a few miles of forests or wetlands. However, some may travel as far as 30 miles in search of blood meals. Horsefly and deerfly species prefer bright sunlight on hot, still days. • Houseflies do not bite, but they congregate near open wounds and secretions, such as tears or mucus. They breed in moist, decaying vegetable matter, including garbage, hay and grass clippings as well as manure. Houseflies prefer dark, interior spaces. • Blackflies inflict painful bites, usually on sparsely haired areas, such as the ears and genitals. Although they can be found as far south as Florida, blackflies are notorious pests up north. They are most abundant in forested areas with slow-moving waterways, such as streams, lakes or canals, in which they lay their eggs. They feed primarily on bright, sunny days and prefer not to fly into dark enclosures. • Horn flies tend to congregate on the horse’s belly, where a single fly may bite multiple times before flying off. On cooler days, they may also feed on the neck, shoulders, and back. Horn flies are normally found near cattle, and they lay their eggs only in fresh cow manure, but they will affect horses in shared or adjoining pastures. • Face flies do not bite, but they congregate on the face to feed on saliva, tears, and mucus. Face flies prefer cattle and breed only in cow manure, but they will also land on horses pastured within a quarter mile. They are most active in the spring and fall but not in hot, dry weather. • Culicoides (biting midges, biting gnats, no-see-ums) attack different parts of the horse, depending on the species, but the more common ones tend to bite at the tail head, ears, mane, withers, and rump; others go for the belly. Although the individual flies are tiny, they form dense swarms that inflict many bites at once. These flies breed in wet places, such as slow, still streams, marshes, and rotting vegetation, and are most active just after sunset. • Mosquitoes will bite anywhere on the body. Most abundant in warm, wet weather, mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, and their populations spike near marshes, ponds, and any chronically wet ground, especially after flooding. Smaller puddles, such as those that form in abandoned tires or blocked rain gutters, can also serve as breeding reservoirs. Mosquitoes are most active in low-light conditions, such as in shady woods or at dawn or dusk. REDUCE, REPEL AND ELIMINATE Chemical controls include insecticides and repellents. Fly sprays are common, and many brands are available, but most contain similar active ingredients. • Insecticidal/repellent sprays usually contain pyrethrin, a natural compound derived from a type of chrysanthemum, or a pyrethroid, usually permethrin, a similar synthetic compound. These formulations deter flies from landing and kill the ones that do bite. These work against many smaller biting flies, including mosquitoes, houseflies, stable flies, deerflies, and gnats. Repellents, which are often marketed as “all natural” alternatives to the insecticides, contain strong-smelling oils, such as citronella, cedar or tea tree. They do not kill flies but instead discourage them from landing by masking the odor of the horse. Both insecticides and repellents are available in lotions, gels, roll-ons, and wet wipes as well as sprays. These are useful for applications around the face as well as touchups along the trail, but they are best used to complement the sprays, rather than as a replacement for them. • Spot-applied permethrin products are an alternative to sprays. Like flea-control products for cats and dogs, these are applied via drops at key points on a horse’s body. • Repellents can also be found in products like fly collars and leg bands---which, not unlike flea collars for dogs, are worn on the horse’s body and deter flies from landing nearby. HORSE CLOTHING • Fly sheets are lightweight coverings for the horse’s torso, and many come with extra appendages, to extend coverage over the tail, belly, and neck, where culicoides tend to attack. Light-colored fly sheets provide an extra deterrent to horse- and deer flies, which track victims by sight and are attracted to large, dark objects. Also available are quarter sheets, which cover a horse’s rump and flanks while under saddle. They tend to be a bit warm and should not be used if it is too hot or humid. Kensington, Rambo, Amigo, and Bucas are all brands to check out. They do however leave the sheath area and inside the thighs wide open for attack. Ask the Vet THOSE DARN FLIES Arizona REAL COUNTRY the magazine Mike Barna Publisher ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com (602) 622-3695 Erika Smith Royal Editor erika963realcountry@gmail.com Misty Voitovski Creative Director Contributing Writers Lee Anderson, Kimmie Dillon, Wendy Fostiak-Amos, Charlie LeSueur, Jim Olson, Robert Piekow, Bill Roberts, Alan Rockman, Bob Roloff, Hank Sheffer, Buddy Uldrikson, Michele Wilson Arizona Real Country is owned and published by Barna Broadcasting LLC. No person, organization or party can copy or reproduce the content on our website and/or magazine or any part of this publication without a written consent from the editor’s panel and the author of the content, as applicable. The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights with regards to copyright of their work. Follow Arizona Real Country for news, events, giveaways and more! 801 W. Wickenburg Way Wickenburg, AZ 85390 (602) 622-3695 ArizonaRealCountry.com continued on page 7