Natural Insect Pest Control For Your Barn And Stable

One of the inevitable challenges you face when you own horses is fighting flies, ticks and other biting pests. 

Horses are susceptible to getting potentially lethal internal worms and other illnesses from the bites or eggs lain form these pests. 

Natural Insect Pest Control For Your Barn And Stable

And if you don’t stop the bugs at the stable, then they follow you to your home and you have to worry about home pest insect control. 

But you also don’t want to harm the environment.  Don’t worry – there is such a thing as natural insect pest control.

Manure Pile Management

The first thing you need to do in natural insect pet control is look at how you or your stable manages the manure pile.  It should be uncovered in a sunny spot and periodically removed.  When you can, the wheelbarrows of manure and dirty bedding need to be spread out.  In this way, the air and the sun act as natural insect pest control.  Any eggs in the manure are dried out and die.

It is imperative that you do not neglect the manure pile until it becomes a manure mountain.  This not only looks unsightly, but the pile will eventually get we enough to be a breeding ground for flies.  Natural insect pest control by making a schedule of removing the manure pile and sticking to it will not only save on the amount of flies you have to battle, but can also save your horse's life.

Non-Toxic Sprays

In natural insect pest repellant, the sprays are not only toxic to bugs but also can harm your horse's sensitive skin.  You can buy much more gentle fly repellants as part of your natural insect pest control arsenal.  The magic ingredient you need to look for is called "pyrethrum", which is made from plants.  This is much gentler to the environment and horseflesh.  You can also use citronella sprays, made with inexpensive citronella oil.

Other Tips

If your horse gets an open wound, flies can swarm right into it.  To keep out the flies, just smear petroleum jelly over the wound.  You do need to be sure your horse doesn't lick it off, but if he does, you know it's not going to make him sick.

Please avoid using powders and liquids that you add to your horse's feed to make them unpalatable to biting pests.  This is not a natural insect pest control process safe for most horses or ponies.  Many horses and ponies have gotten sick from the long term use of such products.