The sun is finally out and the rain has gone away, BUT the flies are back. Flies typically begin breeding when temperatures are above 50F, and for Californians this means that flies are breeding year round, with the peak breeding season in the humid months.

1.They harbor pathogenic organisms and are linked to various diseases such as conjunctivitis, diarrhea, dysentery, pigeon fever (dryland distemper), stomach worms (Habronema), anthrax, equine infectious anemia and strangles

2.They cause painful bites which some horses are allergic to.

3.They are annoying to both you and your horse

1. Fly Sprays and Traps only kill mature flies

2. Good Management by keeping your environment clean and free of manure and other organic material that flies breed in.

3. Natural fly predators can be very helpful in cutting down on fly numbers. Fly predators reproduce by laying their eggs in the pupa of the pest flies such as horn flies, house flies, stable flies and face flies. This process kills the pest flies before they hatch.

4. Feed through insect growth regulator (IGR) that inhibits the growth of flies at different stages of their life cycle. Products like Solitude IGR prevent larva from making their protective exoskeleton by inhibiting the production of chitin. Once the eggs hatch into larvae, the fly cannot form a pupae and dies without ever reaching adulthood. The beauty of IGRs is that they prevent flies instead of repelling them. Solitude’s active ingredient is cyromazine (not a organophosphate) which has no harmful effects on horses of any age including breeding stallions and pregnant mares. Solitude is found to be 100% effective in fly prevention. The Equine Center now offers Solitude IGR and would be happy to answer any questions you might have about the product.
 

1. House Flies are more abundant on walls, rafters, strings or light bulbs. Stable flies rest mostly on surfaces 3 feet off of the ground

2. House flies eat garbage, manure, foodstuffs, and other organic materials. Stable flies feed on all animals.

3. Stable flies feed once or twice daily mainly between 11:00am and 2:00pm.

4. Stable fly’s larval development sites are on manure (until it is 2-3 weeks old), compost piles, grass clippings, and urine-soaked straw or hay.

5.House flies develop from egg to adult in as little as 7-10 days whereas stable flies require 16 days to 5 weeks to develop.

6. House flies live and die within a half mile of where they are hatched. Stable flies are very abundant to their breeding grounds and do not migrate long distances.

You breed and keep your own flies.