Top 5 Tips for Effective Equine Pest Control

These bothersome bugs affect your horse's peace and can transmit dangerous diseases. Insects can cause irritation to your precious horse and lead to lowered performance, stress and violent episodes. In this respect, proper equine pest control is critical. Pests will vary from region to region and in general, you need to know the kinds of bugs your area is prone to. When you know your energy, it is easier to craft an effective control plan. This article highlights vital tips that help in keeping pesky pests at bay. First though, let us explore more on the most notorious equine pests and how they affect your horse.

Most common equine pests

• Mosquito

This small pest does more harm than one can imagine. Because they breed in large numbers, they are able to drain the blood of horses to a significant level. The pest causes a disease called Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA). The annoying insect also causes several strains of Equine Encephalitis. The insect thrives in stagnated water and they also breed around irrigated pastures, old feed pans and so on. It is usually tough to fully contain them because they can travel many miles from their actual breeding sites to feed on horses.

• Gnat

These insects are also referred to as small flies or biting midges. They initiate a painful bite to horses and are known to cause a condition called 'sweet-itch'. This is a condition that causes hypersensitivity to horses and the situation is made worse when there is excess exposure to sunlight. Horses will suffer lesions; and the most common areas to look out for such lesions are over the withers, chest, face, mane and tail areas. These affected areas will suffer significant hair loss and even crusting. Therefore, gnats are very dangerous and must be controlled accordingly. They love to breed on decaying vegetation or manure and wet habitats.

• Blister Beetle

This is a pest that does not attack a horse directly. They do not bite but are highly toxic to horses. In addition, they can contaminate alfalfa hay which is detrimental to say the least. These beetles therefore thrive in areas where hay is produced in plenty.  To control them effectively, alfalfa hay production and practices therein have to be modified. Inspecting your hay to check for the beetles is also critical to keeping your horses safe and sound.

• Stable Fly

This is a blood-sucking bug that causes great pain in horses. In terms of appearance, this fly is almost black and will have a grayish look. It lays many eggs in manure, urine, grass clippings, decaying plants and wet feed. This fly also transmits disease-causing pathogens. More specifically, they cause stomach worms by depositing stomach worm larvae on open wounds. Inflammation and infection are common when stable flies are around and taking good measures to keep them away is important.

• Lice

This pest is a menace on horses to say the very least. They suck blood and can leave a horse vulnerable to disease. They love to attack the neck, mane, tail and the head of a horse; they can be seen upon inspection. Lice will also cause infection in addition to great discomfort. Horses infested with lice will be aggressive and can stomp while rubbing and biting themselves. The life cycle of lice is three weeks and when no action is taken, a horse can carry this lousy burden; making them more miserable.

Top 5 tips for effective equine pest control

All pests cannot be eliminated in the same exact way. Therefore, you need to use specific methods that will control individual pests. Some pest control strategies will however help contain many pests.

1. Proper management of manure

As mentioned above, many pests love manure and decaying materials. For this reason, you must keep your stalls and turns outs as clean as possible. Remove manure often and promptly to discourage the breeding of both internal and external pests. Also, remove manure in pasture areas because this is another big danger for your horse. Internal pests may hide in pasture areas and be consumed. It is not really possible or necessary to eliminate all pests this way, however, it will go a long way in keeping your equine friends healthy and comfortable.

2. Use fly sheets and masks

Fly sheets protect your horse from the harmful UV rays of the sun. In addition, they protect against insect bites as well. Therefore, investing in some protective gear for your equine buddy is a good idea. Fly sheets and fly masks are most commonly worn during summer and spring. These are seasons where pests also thrive in their numbers. The horse gear is widely available and affordable. If you're looking for high quality equine products and supplies, Equi-Spa is a good place to start.

3. Use insect repellents

Pest repellents are great for keeping the bugs away. You can use fly sprays and even ointments. Make sure to use on all the sensitive areas for full protection. If you want protection that lasts longer, ointments are a better option. It is imperative to choose repellents that will not do more harm than good to your horse. Choose products that are natural. A high quality brand that is trusted is best for equine pest control. For suitable pest control options, Equi-Spa is still a great brand to check out.

4. Provide clean water daily

Pests like mosquitoes love standing water bodies. This means that you should keep your horse water fresh and clean each day. This will keep mosquito eggs at bay and help control breeding. Mosquitoes transmit deadly diseases to horses and taking every step to prevent them is important. Also, avoid grazing your horse near water bodies. In addition to preventing mosquito problems, some aquatic animals can be infected by insect-borne diseases. Feeding on infected aquatic insects will put your horse at risk of suffering from diseases such as Potomac Horse Fever (PHF).

5. Follow up on equine vaccination

There are many diseases caused by pests that can be vaccinated against. From West Nile Virus to Tetanus, make sure that your horse is well protected. Keep yourself abreast with relevant information that pertains to horse vaccination in your area. Also, have a close relationship with your equine veterinarian. Get all the right advice on pests; and learn the best ways to prevent and eliminate them. With all the above, you can achieve effective equine pest control.