Anyone have any fly spray recommendations?

[jse]

I've used many, but anyone use one that is super effective? Gotta go buy some this weekend and I normally just use the Bronco...but wanna try something new and worth my money!

[sublimequine]

If you like Bronco, I highly suggest Bronco Gold. Regular Bronco really doesn't work that well for me, it's water-based and sweats off really easily. I usually buy just one bottle of regular Bronco at the very beginning of the season, when the flies aren't really bad yet, but just enough to be annoying.

Bronco Gold is similar, but oil-based, so it lasts much longer. :)

[pines4equines]

Try Tri Tec. It's in a silver bottle. Pretty expensive but it's night and day with regards to Bronco. Super too for spraying on prior to the farrier working on the animals, no stomping of tail flicking.

[CB/TB]

I like the concentrate in the orange bottle "DEO". It used to be called something else( German). It's a pretty strong citronelle smell and I add more oil and some calm Coat and maybe some eucalyptus oil. I add oil of citronella to any fly spray I have just for the added punch. Bounce dryer sheets are supposed to repel flies, too. Stick one under the browband of the bridle and under the girth. You could also braid strips into the mane and tail.

[CallMeGrace]

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

[HCF]

I like the concentrate in the orange bottle "DEO". It used to be called something else( German). It's a pretty strong citronelle smell and I add more oil and some calm Coat and maybe some eucalyptus oil. I add oil of citronella to any fly spray I have just for the added punch. Bounce dryer sheets are supposed to repel flies, too. Stick one under the browband of the bridle and under the girth. You could also braid strips into the mane and tail.


I second the Deo fly spray. Smells great, works well and lasts forever. I bought a small bottle of concentrate last spring and have more than half left.

[Horsemaniac.com]

I have tried many fly sprays over the years and Eqyss Summer Defense Marigold Fly Spray became my favorite. It is all natural, non-toxic, alcohol free, pesticide free, and won't burn your horse's eyes. Works for up to 8 hours and contains sunscreen as well. Safe for humans and horses. It is all botanical and smells really great.

[elio]

Try Tri Tec. It's in a silver bottle. Pretty expensive but it's night and day with regards to Bronco. Super too for spraying on prior to the farrier working on the animals, no stomping of tail flicking.


Agree....probably the best. If I cannot buy this I make my own consisting of 1 part white vinegar, 1 part ivory liquid soap and 1 part water. Also a few drops of "pachuey?" oil that you can buy in an organic health food store.

[deltawave]

They are all equally lousy, IMO and IME. Deep Woods Off seems to work fairly decent, but is pricey. There is very little that's actually "new"--they just mix and remix every couple of years, give it a different color bottle, and re-market the stuff.

Best I can suggest is buy the strongest stuff you can find (read the label), apply LIBERALLY the way it's suggested: spray, brush into the coat, and re-apply often. I find if I take the time to really spray down, then brush backwards and forwards to get the stuff down into the hair, it seems to last a LITTLE longer--like maybe 15 minutes instead of 5. :rolleyes:

[IsolaBella09]

Pyranha. Friend down in AL with those massive flies swears by it. ;)

[2ndyrgal]

Not the concentrate, in the gray bottle with pink/purple on it. The stuff is killer good, smells terrific, shiny, oh yeah and the ONLY thing I've found that will keep off the killer giant butt crease landing horse flys. It lasts a couple of days unless it's super hot out. It is very, very expensive. I buy the gallon jugs by the case and apply liberally all summer long. My horses love me. I use it too.

[SkipHiLad4me]

I usually use a combination of Endure and Flicks. It's the only thing I've found that keeps off those big green headed flies. yuck! And Flicks is a little on the oily side so it sticks better than the waterbased sprays.

[camohn]

I've used many, but anyone use one that is super effective? Gotta go buy some this weekend and I normally just use the Bronco...but wanna try something new and worth my money!

Depends on if you have biting flies or not. For home use (where we do not have a serious problem with horseflies or greenheads...just run or the mill house/face flies) then I use a home made herbal thing. For polo and going to certain areas that have bad biting flies........Bite Free is the only thing I have found to work.

[jse]

Thank you guys for all the input! Will definitely take all of your ideas into consideration.
We definitely have a lot of those HUGE bomber looking horse flies here. At one point they are soooo terrible.

[BaileyTW]

I use Gordon's Horse and Pony spray almost religiously. It lasts ALL DAY, and keeps all the bugs off.
It is oil based though, so it brings dirt to the surface (not so cool on a white horse). Its the only stuff I found that works this good though.

[SecondEdition]

Flysect Super 7(not the concentrate). I've been using it for almost 15 years now. I live where the bugs are pretty bad in the summer. My horses never have bite marks, it has sunscreen in it, and everyone always remarks how good my horse smells. I believe it also repels ticks, but don't quote me on that. I've tried a number of other flysprays and none of them have come close. It is expensive but as another person said, buy the gallons in bulk (from somewhere that won't charge you FOB). It's completely worth it.

[Simkie]

Pyranha. Friend down in AL with those massive flies swears by it. ;)

Yep! This is what I use!

[mvp]

Here's the recipe for the cheapest, most effective stuff ever. From a BO who included fly spray in her summer board. Wow.

Anyhoo:

1/3 Bronco-- dirt cheap, doesn't work by itself
1/3 Kerosene-- don't freak out. It smells rank, but the horses don't care and don't get sunburned.
1/3 Kill-M-Dead-- I think that's the name. Fly stuff for cattle, comes in a yellow gallon jug. Anyhoo, some weird name with a letter for a word.

Sorry to be illiterate, but savvy about flyspray. That's how we rednecks roll!

[OkLurchers]

I second SecondEdition (ha).
Flysect Super 7 since 1985! It's the only fly spray I use. fabulous stuff.

[WhisperHeart]

i tend to use Dura-Guard it works pretty well only have to apply it once a day(more if its super hot) and if i happen to spray a fly wether it be on purpose or an accident it will kill the fly and it does a pretty good job keeping biting flies away.


i'd like to try the Flysect Super 7 but i dont know where to get it none of the feeds stores close to me carry it

[tpup]

I love Equisect in the silver bottle (I get it from Valley Vet's website).

I have found that the BEST remedy for flies on the legs is Swat. I put it all over my hands (with gloves on) and rub it onto the lower half of the leg until the coronet band. It keeps flies OFF and really helps keep my horse from stomping alot. I go through alot of it in the summer and it's greasy, but it really works.

[deltawave]

Yeah, kerosene is a wonderful product to be spraying on your horse, then rinsing off with the hose. It's bad for flies, but GOOD for the environment! :rolleyes:

Nothing repels bombers, but you can trap and kill them by the HUNDREDS with a Horse Pal trap. :D

[Texarkana]

Do any of them really work as well as promised?

Lately I've been using EquiSect, which seems to be doing slightly more repelling than other products I've used in the past. I also like the DEO concentrate. For ticks, I sparingly use OFF or a similar human bug spray w/ DEET.

I use Gordon's Horse and Pony spray almost religiously. It lasts ALL DAY, and keeps all the bugs off.
It is oil based though, so it brings dirt to the surface (not so cool on a white horse). Its the only stuff I found that works this good though.

I'm not one to start hyperbole off a single bad experience, but one of my horses had a horrible reaction to the Gordon's. It made her skin literally bubble and peal. The topic came up at dinner with a group of horse people, and several others had experienced the same extreme reaction.

The stuff seemed to work great otherwise. It also has sunscreen, which I love. But with the potential for such a severe reaction, I'd suggest folks test it on a small area of skin first before applying everywhere.

[Penthilisea]

The Orvitrol spray is really impressing me this year, but we haven't hit bomber season yet so I don't know for sure. It's basically spray on version of frontline.

"Kills and repels: fleas, ticks, lice, flies, mosquitoes, and gnats. Quickly kills adult fleas plus kills their hatching eggs for up to 2 months. Kills and repels lyme disease carrying ticks. Prevents botfly eggs from hatching. Rapid action formula. Use on horses, ponies, dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens. Use up to once per week."

It has been a godsend against ticks for me thus far with once weekly application.