Fly protection in the stable

The actual fly protection should not start at the horse, but already in the stable and on the pasture. To prevent insects from entering the yard in the first place, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

With the following tips you can banish flies, horseflies & Co. from the stable:

• Muck out regularly: Insects are magically attracted to the smell of horse droppings. In summer, muck out as often as possible to keep insects away. Also make sure that the manure pile does not stand for too long and is disposed of regularly.

• Standing water: small puddles, full watering cans or the barrel with rainwater – these are all potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Tip away unneeded water and cover rain barrels with lids.

• Useful lodgers: Spiders, swallows and bats are insectivores and will help you contain the population. You can also buy so-called beneficial insects. These are also insects that eat pests. For example, ichneumon wasps are used for stable flies, and if you have a pond near the stable, you can also put out water fleas as beneficial insects.

• Close doors: If possible, keep doors closed in the stable – especially at dusk when insects are most active. If the doors in your stable always stay open and your horse can move freely from indoors to outdoors, strip curtains are a good way to prevent insects from entering the stable.

• Remove sweat odour: If your horse has been sweating profusely, hose it down with water before it enters the stall. Insects are attracted to the animals‘ body odour and thus find their way into the stable.

Insect traps for stables and paddocks

There are various traps that can be used in the stable area. Most of them work via attractants, others make use of the individual flight behaviour of the insects. When buying a trap, it is important to know which insect you want to repel, as many traps are only specialised for one type of insect.