With fly season just around the corner, how do you choose which repellent is best?
Here’s what NAF say…
“We have all experienced the irritation that flies and midges create, from buzzing around our horses to actually landing on them. In some cases, insect bites leave our horses with unwanted lumps and bumps due to their body’s natural reaction to defend them from foreign attack.
The most common question asked is ‘Which fly spray do I use?’. In truth, there is no simple answer as it is down to personal preference for both you and your horse. Experience tells us that repellents work differently on different horses, so if you find one unsuccessful make sure you look for an alternative with a different active ingredient. However, there are a few key indicators to look for when choosing fly relief.
Legally all fly repellents come under HSE Biocide and Pesticide regulations. They must be registered and display a HSE number. This registration ensures you are using active ingredients proven to be both safe and effective.
DEET is one of the most well-known ingredients for fly repellents, formulated by US soldiers upon testing times in the jungle during 1946. Believed to work by simply confusing an insect’s odor receptors as well as creating an unappealing landing environment for the receptors on their feet. Companies include ingredients at various ratios where, generally, the higher the rate of DEET the more effective it will be. However, safe levels for use on horses and in our environment are capped, so avoid using DEET repellents designed for use on people as these are likely to be too high for your horse.
Eucalyputus Citriodora Oil is a natural derived oil with proven insect repellency. Much like DEET, Eucalyptus citriodora oils are thought to work by disrupting the insect’s odour receptors.
Permethrin works by targeting the nervous system and creating paralysis or worse when the insect lands. However permethrin is toxic to both fish and cats, so caution would be advised when using around your horse – particularly if your yard relies on an efficient feline mouser for rodent control.
Citronella Oil is traditionally used as an insect repellent, however its legal status as a repellent has never been established in terms of efficacy and safety, and therefore it is banned from being marketed as a fly repellent. This ban has led to confusion over the years that maybe it is banned entirely or for competition use, but that is not the case. Citronella is still perfectly legal to use, both generally and under rules – it simply can’t be referred to as a fly repellent.
The same applies to a number of other traditional essential oils, and this sometimes leads to riders experimenting with homemade fly repellents, however this is something we would strongly advise against. Essential oils in particular can be very aggressive, causing severe reactions on some horses dependent on both concentration rates and how they have been combined. Therefore we advise whether looking for a registered fly repellent or an essential oil product for general care, it is best to trust the professionals and buy a commercial solution. However, we still advise a small 24hr patch test is carried out before general application of any new product, simply due to the unpredictable nature of allergies.
In terms of the best application, a spray is usually the most effective in terms of coverage, however, some horses do not like sprays and so creams and lotions are also available. Using a sponge with these can be effective but it is much more difficult to achieve the level of coverage. Caution must be taken around the more sensitive areas which have little covering of hair such as between the hind legs and around a mare’s teats who may be feeding a foal at foot. Remember, if using a sponge or cloth, choose one made of natural fibres particularly for a DEET based product. While DEET is proven to be safe for application to skin and natural fibres, it will attack some plastics and manmade fibres. For the same reason, if decanting your DEET based spray from a larger bottle, always decant into a dedicated DEET spray bottle, as others may not be suitable.
So, when you are next asked the question ‘have you got the fly spray?’, take into account what is in it and follow the advice on the packaging.”
With NAF 750ml sprays on offer for Buy 2 & Save £5, why not grab a couple to try for yourself!
