ACK! Not shed out yet, 58F & HORRIBLE blood sucking, belly munching bugs are here!

[Fantastic]

What are they and what can I do about them? These "things" showed up in swarms yesterday and they have my herd of 13 in the pasture running about like mad. All of the horses bellies and a few other parts are a bloody mess!The horses that are in the barns or closer in don't appear to be having the same problem.

I would like to solve this problem ASAP! Garlic? Spot on bug stuff? Spray? Or just fly suits with belly wraps?

[kcmel]

Where are you located? My horse was running around the paddock like crazy this evening, and I found one small black insect on his sheath. Had a big welt later, poor baby.

[abbydp]

Gnats!!! I got swarmed this evening. I coated my boy in fly spray, brought him in later and he was COVERED in dead gnats. The little suckers bite! The best thing we have found, especially for underneath is WIPE. The old kind, actually wiped on.

[In the Air]

Deep woods off works wonders. My pony has on a mask and a fly sheet with a neck cover and then I mist her all over with Off or a cheaper version with lots of Deet. Not a bug bite to be found. Those biting gnats ignore all regular horse fly sprays. We have several that are very sensitive to the bites, not a raw spot on any of them after using the Deet regiment.

You can go to Dicks sporting goods and they have a spray that you can put on the fly sheets and it lasts through several washings. I don't bother, I go right to the strong stuff.... Good Luck.

[HelloAgain]

Gnats!!! I got swarmed this evening. I coated my boy in fly spray, brought him in later and he was COVERED in dead gnats. The little suckers bite! The best thing we have found, especially for underneath is WIPE. The old kind, actually wiped on.
OMG, the smell of "Wipe" takes me straight back to my days hanging 'round the barn at summer camp!

For the bugs at attack the belly midline, I used to apply a line of "SWAT" bug repellant goop. It sticks on pretty well, and can used on wounds/broken skin which is handy.

[MunchkinsMom]

Deep woods off works wonders. My pony has on a mask and a fly sheet with a neck cover and then I mist her all over with Off or a cheaper version with lots of Deet. Not a bug bite to be found. Those biting gnats ignore all regular horse fly sprays. We have several that are very sensitive to the bites, not a raw spot on any of them after using the Deet regiment.

You can go to Dicks sporting goods and they have a spray that you can put on the fly sheets and it lasts through several washings. I don't bother, I go right to the strong stuff.... Good Luck.

I would be very wary of using a DEET product on a horse, I have seen several articles on the internet like the one below warning against it:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Horses-702/DEET-Mosquito-Control.htm

From the article above:

"Deet is NOT to be used on ANY animals, including horses. Some animals are very sensitive to the product, and it can cause some serious side effects. When applied to the skin, Deet can be absorbed, or ingested by horses.

It becomes very toxic to the brain and nervous system, and can cause tremors, weakness, paralysis, emotional / behavior changes, seizures, and death on rare occasions.
If you're lucky, all your horse will suffer is a skin rash or blisters.

In my opinion...the hassle is just NOT worth it. Try a good wipe-on/rub-on fly spray, and feed apple cider vinegar along with your horse's feed. They sweat the vinegar out and it becomes a natural fly spray."

The link below is information from Cornell on this topic:

http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/deet-ext.html

[SpringOakFarm]

I hear ya' - one of my boys has rubbed a bald spot on his belly because of them! I talked with my vet and here is our plan which has helped amazingly well:

1) Fly sheet with belly guard
2) Bug repellent lotion...gosh, I cannot remember the name brand - but it's an actual lotion, not a spray

My boy is allergic to petroleum based products and therefore I can't use swat on him.

She said that he is showing such an allergic reaction that if this plan doesn't work, then I may have to use steroids. But - it's working! So we're all good!

For my other horse I just run a line of SWAT up his belly and his chest. I will start using a fly sheet on him when the demon, huge black horse flies start coming out...June-August.

[Auventera Two]

I've used Deet for YEARS and never had any problem. It's the ONLY thing that keeps the swarms of mosquitos off us from July - September. I use the Cashel Bug Armor suit and mask for riding and the spray exposed areas with OFF.

You posted an internet opinion that was written anonymously. Sorry but I need a lot more scientific info than that before I'll stop using it. The mosquitos will drive horses into lunacy if not properly controlled and Deet is very effective at it.

Yes you have to be careful not to over-apply. I had some skin peeling on one horse one summer. But if you bathe the horse every few weeks, the oily residue doesn't build up. I always think the best thing is mechanical control over chemical but chemical is sometimes necessary too.

[MunchkinsMom]

2) Bug repellent lotion...gosh, I cannot remember the name brand - but it's an actual lotion, not a spray


Might be Gold Nugget Gnat-Away cream? I think the company might have gone out of business? I love that stuff, but can't seem to find it online now. Found it on Smartpak via google, but it shows as no longer available, and no hits using other searches.

Here is an article with some recommendations for products to try from Dr Hayes:

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/farm_ranch/pest_fly_control/sweetitch_062005/

Well, all I can find is the GNatural spray, supposedly based on the cream that they used to make.

[SMF11]

War Paint is another bug repellent that works well against gnats. It's goopy like swat; I put it in my horses ears and on their belly and it keeps the bugs away for about a week at a time. My tractor supply carried it for about $20/tube, but has since discontinued it. I see it is widely available online, cheapest at horse.com.

[SMF11]

Someone posted here last year about putting vaseline on their bellies and in ears to keep gnats away. I found it works, but only for a day or so and I got tired of having to reapply. Plus, when the bugs were at their worst it wasn't completely effective. But there's a less toxic method, if the bugs aren't that bad.

[Thomas_1]

Why not give this a go:

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=104176

[cloudyandcallie]

Use a mixture of water, skinsosoft and white vinegar, I forget the exact formula but I take a milk jug and fill it a little over 1/2 with water and add 1/2 bottle (the biggest bottle) of skinsosoft and then top off with white vinegar to fill. Shake and spray it on daily.

Or use the original Listerine cut 1/2 with water. Also apply daily.

One of the magazines did tests on fly sprays last year and found that all of them, including those that are supposed to last for a week or more, loose their protection in about 24 hours. (Like we didn't already know that and apply them daily).

The best repellent comes in a tiny little aerosol and is called "Rhino" but it costs too much for a tiny little can. The shrimpers in coastal GA and SC use it to keep the gnats and skeeters from eating them up.