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Lee Robert Arzt
Member
Username: Arztlaw
Post Number: 13
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jun 27, 2006 - 6:51 am: |   |
I have 2 TB mares in Central Virginia where I use predator flies (wasps?)in a 4 acre pasture, with insect poison misters in a run-in shed. One mare will permit the application of either fly spray or wipe once caught either in a stall or on a lead shank. The other will become demonstratably agitated, trying to flee. Neither animal is afraid of either me or the spray/wipe. I have done behavioral desensitization of using spray.
Do the chemicals in these products hurt the skin? Surely they smell awful. The wipe that I use smells like diesel fuel and has a greasy base. I know that I should use various skin products like sun screen and bug repellant on my skin, but personally dislike using them except in fairly extreme situations. I do not believe that the horses make the connection between the use of wipe and freedom from badgering insects but in any event it appears to me that they would always chose not to have the stuff applied.
They get fairly bitten up from the few flies that seem to survive the predators. On the other hand even when the stuff is liberally applied in the morning, they are all back to being bitten by the evening when I return from work.
Given that set of facts is it useful to fight the application battle where the war apparently cannot be won? |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 15982
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jun 27, 2006 - 9:12 am: | |
You should know that the predators do not deal with most biting flies, but primarily houseflies. For more on this and answers to your specific questions see the article on controlling flies Lee. You can access it from the navigation bar at the top of this page.
DrO |
Lee Robert Arzt
Member
Username: Arztlaw
Post Number: 14
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 28, 2006 - 6:57 am: | |
House flies were not my primary target for the predators. Thanks for the article, which is a bit worrisome as my horses only have a run-in shed. Lee |
