# Fly Spray



## mamatomany

Hubs stopped at TSC and brought home some equine spray for our horse. Can I use it for the goats? He said they had stuff for lactating cows and ones specificially for sheep and goat. He is concerned about absorption of the chemical? Any thoughts or what do you guys use? Thanks, Linda


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## Ashley

I wouldn't since it's not made for a food animal. What's the active ingredient? I use that Equisect stuff, it's natural.


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## Faithful Crown Nubians

I use a spray that's for all livestock...just can't think of the name of it. I'll have to check the next time I go to the barn!


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## Theresa

I have used equine spray on the goats before. I believe the brand was Bronco? I could be wrong. I need to get some more because I am out and the flies are getting bad. I did spray my buck with flea spray to get the flies off him and it worked really well. Just not sure about using it on the does.
Theresa


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## Poverty Knob Goats

If the active ingredient in it is Permethrin, it is OK to use, after milking. You can also buy Permetherin 10% and mix your own fly/lice spray.


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## NubianSoaps.com

It's on the hair and not the skin.

But since Tim Pruitt told us about Quick Bayt other than some Bronco Horse Spray when mosquitos are bad, usually only after tropical storms, I dont use anything anymore. Vicki


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## dragonlair

Horse spray is usually very gentle because horses are pretty sensitive to chemicals, more so than cattle. I have both horses and goats. I buy horse bug spray and use it on the horses, dogs and goats. I've done that for 36 years with no problems what so ever.


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## Ashley

Vicki McGaugh Tx Nubians said:


> It's on the hair and not the skin.


 :really I don't think you can say none of it gets on the skin, especially if the goat is shaved.

I think they use permethrin on cattle.


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## Anita Martin

Or you can make your own. I've bought so many expensive fly sprays for the horses, which say to reapply every 14 days. FOURTEEN DAYS? I can't even get them to repel for FOURTEEN MINUTES! 

One day I'd had it with the horse flies getting on both of my geldings sheaths, where they couldn't reach, and biting, biting, biting.They bother my mares too, but not as bad. I got some skin so soft from avon, mixed it with white vinegar, peppermint, both kinds of eucalyptus and some lavender. 

Not only did it keep the horse flies off the horses, but it keeps flies and mosquitos off the goats too. And I can use it on myself without worry..plus it smells kind of nice. Better than bronco anyway. And no chemicals except whatever it is in the SOS....which I don't really know what it is....but it works, which is more than i can say about stuff I've spent more money on. 

I'm a little leary of using fly killing chemicals on the dairy goats, so am glad to be able to use something a little less poisonous. 

I know lots of folks on here have mixed up similar batches using essential oils we buy for soaping. Maybe some of you could post your recipes in a sticky?


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## R and R Farms

Is the Bronco permethrin based? I have been meaning to get some after all the good reviews I've read but I already use a 10% permethin dilution and don't see the need if it's the same stuff. BTW, I've had about the same results as Anita with the junk I've used for fly and mosquito repellant.


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## MiaBella Farm

I make my own spray out of essential oils and put it on the goats twice a day...the dogs too!


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## mamatomany

Anita, excellent, thanks for the recipe  I'm gonna try that. I remember the SOS being greasy tho? That is why I never liked it...is it still greasy?


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## carlidoe

Anita Martin said:


> Or you can make your own. I've bought so many expensive fly sprays for the horses, which say to reapply every 14 days. FOURTEEN DAYS? I can't even get them to repel for FOURTEEN MINUTES!
> 
> One day I'd had it with the horse flies getting on both of my geldings sheaths, where they couldn't reach, and biting, biting, biting.They bother my mares too, but not as bad. I got some skin so soft from avon, mixed it with white vinegar, peppermint, both kinds of eucalyptus and some lavender.
> 
> Not only did it keep the horse flies off the horses, but it keeps flies and mosquitos off the goats too. And I can use it on myself without worry..plus it smells kind of nice. Better than bronco anyway. And no chemicals except whatever it is in the SOS....which I don't really know what it is....but it works, which is more than i can say about stuff I've spent more money on.
> 
> I'm a little leary of using fly killing chemicals on the dairy goats, so am glad to be able to use something a little less poisonous.
> 
> I know lots of folks on here have mixed up similar batches using essential oils we buy for soaping. Maybe some of you could post your recipes in a sticky?


I read this and decided to try it. I mixed rosemary and peppermint essential oils with white vinegar. So far its working better than the expensive organic crap I've been buying. Just hope it lasts most of the day.


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## doublebowgoats

I'm still using the Zero Bite brand of fly spray with geraniol in it. It's working great and is OK to use on the goats since the ingredients are natural.


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## mill-valley

I usually buy the aerosol can of spray meant for dairy facilities and cattle. Not sure what the ingredient is but the brands are either Hard Hitter or CVD-80.

We use a premise spray called Tempo in the barn and calf hutches...that stuff works very well and it's residual for 2-3 weeks. I have tried QuickBayt but wasn't all that impressed....but we don't have very many flies around anyway after using the premise spray.


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## doublebowgoats

I finally gave up on quickbayt and use the traps for the barn and they are working great. And then the zerobite for the animals themselves.


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## mamatomany

We finally invested in fly predators. expensive, but I really think they are actually working. I do want to make up some vinegar solution as suggested, and will try that too.


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## carlidoe

I want to try the Tempo premise spray! Flies are horrible right now..where do you get it?


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## carlidoe

Holy moly! I just found the Tempo spray.it's expensive! Seems like a little goes a long way though. Probably worth a try.


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## mill-valley

The bottle of concentrate we get is $50 but lasts all season.


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## lazydaisy67

Flies are bad here this year seems like to me. The organic sprays aren't even worth the bottle they're put in from my experience. I get the equine spray that you can use on dogs and it seems to work pretty well for both the horses and my dogs, but certainly not for the number of days the bottle says it will. I generally give them a good spraying once a week. I haven't used anything on the goats at all yet. I just can't bring myself to spray them with something when the whole point of me having the goats in the first place was to get away from chemicals in the milk. So far (knock on milk stand) we've been ok during milking and they don't seem too terribly bothered while out grazing. If it gets worse I'm gonna make my own with something like SOS,vinegar, essential oils, etc. Anybody willing to post their recipes?


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## NubianSoaps.com

And of course a big advertisement for Quick Bayt. I purchased the 5 pound container and it is not even half way gone. I put a feed sack in the milkroom and sprinkle Quick Bayt on it every night, maybe a tablespoon. I have no flies, zero, zilch, nada. Perhaps it's only Texas flies that this kills  I use the granular. I don't buy traps or stickies or sparys....this stuff is saving me a fortune. Vicki


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## Squires

*Fly Predators/was Fly Spray*

:hi :hi :hi :hi In the Northeast USA (central upstate NY) Cornell University's beef barn has participated in a study using fly predator insects (also known as fly-parasites) released monthly, and swears by them. Really clean and non-toxic to pets and livestock and the beneficial bugs. I like to have beneficial bugs around my garden where they eat the not-so-beneficial bugs. :thankyou

:soap I have had great success releasing fly predators. You have to start a couple months before the fly season starts, and release a package a month for the entire season. Well, you don't HAVE to release them every month, but, it works better when you keep the population of fly-predators high. And that is very easy to do if you just pre-order a season's worth of fly-predator deliveries. :yes

Sometimes I can get away with doing a couple of extra-heavy releases early in the summer and they reproduce as they eat flies (the released fly-predators lay eggs in and parasitize and eat the fly larvae before they can amount to much). You only order as much as you want to use, but they recommend specific amounts of flies per number of livestock on your property, and maybe more if your neighbor has a bunch of livestock and won't buy their own fly predators. :tapfoot

The little guys come ready to hatch out in a package in the mail every month. You can store them in the refrigerator to slow them down a bit if they haven't yet hatched, and then sprinkle the "stuff" (bedding and egg casings? The stuff they hatch out of -- little bits of shavings or something like that) over manure piles, damp areas, standing weeds or hedges, etc

Years when I did not order fly predators, the flies have been much worse. :bang Releasing the predators regularly made this place fly-free. :yes

The fly predators are tiny, tiny, ephemeral, harmless little flying insects that stay away from people and animals, except that they like decayed things with flies in it. Once you have seen them you will recognize that not all flying insects are intended to make our lives miserable. These insects are designed to make the flies miserable! :handclap

This year I got some guinea fowl instead, but it is too early to really tell what they can do - they are very young and officially have not yet been released (a few are running around with the pullets, but those are escapees and they don't yet show much in the way of flying or hunting for their bugs yet). Guinea fowl are just mega-sized fly predators. :biggrin

I am uneasy about having toxic stuff around, as I have a small three-ring-circus of free-ranging poultry that could get into trouble, not to mention stupid dogs. :sigh

Best wishes with your campaign against the flies. dance:


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## cariboujaguar

Anita Martin said:


> Or you can make your own. I've bought so many expensive fly sprays for the horses, which say to reapply every 14 days. FOURTEEN DAYS? I can't even get them to repel for FOURTEEN MINUTES!
> 
> One day I'd had it with the horse flies getting on both of my geldings sheaths, where they couldn't reach, and biting, biting, biting.They bother my mares too, but not as bad. I got some skin so soft from avon, mixed it with white vinegar, peppermint, both kinds of eucalyptus and some lavender.
> 
> Not only did it keep the horse flies off the horses, but it keeps flies and mosquitos off the goats too. And I can use it on myself without worry..plus it smells kind of nice. Better than bronco anyway. And no chemicals except whatever it is in the SOS....which I don't really know what it is....but it works, which is more than i can say about stuff I've spent more money on.
> 
> I'm a little leary of using fly killing chemicals on the dairy goats, so am glad to be able to use something a little less poisonous.
> 
> I know lots of folks on here have mixed up similar batches using essential oils we buy for soaping. Maybe some of you could post your recipes in a sticky?


Just had a customer come in yesterday and sing this recipes praises for her horses and dogs, I'm going to try it as well.


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