Flying Pest Control: A Multi-Pronged Approach
At this time of year, we’re all grateful for the warmer weather finally making its way to these parts. Unfortunately, the rising mercury also gives rise to legions of nasty winged critters that buzz, bite and sting. All those flying insects can make life downright miserable for our horses (not to mention us!), and some can also be vectors of serious diseases such as West Nile Virus. It is therefore important to take steps to control the population of flying pests as much as possible. The best way to do that is to take a multi-pronged approach that makes use of both physical protection for the horse and environmental prevention strategies. CHEMICAL WARFARE Fly sprays are a key weapon for many horse owners in the war against flying pests. Most traditional sprays make use of pyrethrin, a chemical derived from chrysanthemums, or permethrins (also called pyrethroids), which are synthetic chemicals with similar neurotoxic qu...