Conference noted::equitation

    A trainer friend of mine swears by orange juice/cider vinegar in
    the feed (about 1tbsp each feeding) for fly control.  He says it
    works anytime but August!
    
    His horses don't have flies, not even at shows!  His dad used this
    old-timer's trick, that HE learned from someone a long time ago.
    
    My friend has just installed the Pyranha fly mist system in his
    barns, too.  It seems to work, except that I personally don't like
    being caught under the stream of mist that falls into the middle
    of each stall.  If a wheelbarrow happens to be under the stream,
    the fly protection goes out the door with the manure.  On reflection,
    perhaps a stream of mist (it's not wet, like liquid) is better;
    at least the overspray won't get into buckets.
    
    Merrie

    I read an article in the February issues of _Arabian Visions_
    magazine discussing fly control by the use of fly predators.
    And I thought to myself, "God does that sound great!  I would
    pay money to watch some vicious gladiator-type bug battle to
    the death with a bunch of my barn flies!" 
    
    Well, as you probably know, it turns out that the contest is a
    lot more subtle.  The fly predators at tiny nocturnal, stingless,
    bitless wasps.  They don't kill the flies (*rats!*) but they
    drill little holes in the fly eggs and suck out the good stuff and
    then lay their own eggs in the shell.  Sort of like the insidious
    creeping invasion of Communism in the Far East.  
    
    Anyway, I called the company that was mentioned in the article,
    Arizone Biological Control, in Tucson, Arizona.  I talked to a
    very nice woman who sent me a bunch of copies of their propaganda.
    If anyone is interested in natural, chemical-free, fly control,
    this sounds promising.  I'd be happy to send you a copy of the
    literature.  Or you can call them yourself. 
    
    The toll free number is:  1-800-433-9230.
    
    Gwen
    

    RE .0
    
    	I tried the little suckers one year... I opened the container
    	that they came in to let them out over the manure pile (like
    	the instructions said) and ..... they..... flu..... away..
    
    		heh-heh-heh......
    
    	Boy, wuz that funny....  I felt like such a jerk!

    I ordered these from Arizona Biological Control last summer and
    was very pleased.  It is about as effortless a method as I can
    imagine - all you do is scatter your shipment around, about once
    every 3 weeks - and is very effective.  It is also very safe for
    the environment and for the critters.  I recently saw an article
    about the ingredient used in Equitrol (the chemical that you feed,
    and it passes through the horse into the manure, where it kills
    the fly larva) and it mentioned that this chemical can build up
    in the horse over the years, and cause serious health problems.
    
    I can't imagine another summer without using these wasps!  I just
    got some mail from Ariz.  Biological Control, probably to resume
    my order (they will automatically send the shipments to you every
    3 weeks throughout the fly season and bill your credit card).
    

    What effect do these wasps have on the balance of nature in your
    area?  What does safe really mean?  I cannot believe that people
    are so willing to import bugs that are not native to the area. 
    You are really playing with fire, like they did when they brought
    rabbits into Australia.  There have been countless cases where man
    has caused big problems by introducing species of animals and insects
    to areas where they are not native.
    
    I would rather have chemicals.  
    
    My neighbor has controlled flies in her barn with diatomaceous (I
    think that is how it is spelled) earth.  She had read an article
    in a horse magazine about it.  It is sold for swimming
    pool filters.  I think that it is actually crushed shells.  You
    are supposed to scatter it around the barn for flies to walk in.
    They then end up ingesting it while they wash themselves.  It is
    a sharp substance for them and will cut their insides.  It is a
    fine powder that causes no problems for cats or any other animals.
    This stuff sounds a lot safer than wasps.
    
    

      
   This is not as elegant a solution as some others, but...
   Has anyone tried the fly repellant strips that you attach to the
   horses tail? The idea is that the horse does the work of applying
   the repellant in the course of swishing his/her tail. I saw this
   in a catalog and wondered if it was worth trying. Anyone seen any
   adverse reactions to this product? (I think it's made by Farnham.)

   k.

    You can achieve the same results of the Farnam product by cutting up
    an old sheet or what have you, into strips, using a fly repellent
    soak the strips, then attach to the tail securely.  You will need
    to soak the strips or make new ones from time to time inorder to
    keep the effectiveness.  

    re: 871.3
    
    In the colder climates, the wasps are killed off in the winter,
    so I don't think they pose a problem to the balance of nature since
    they are temporary.  Due to other factors which I will describe,
    I don't think they would be a problem in warmer climates either.
    
    The wasps are very slow to reproduce.  I don't remember the exact
    figure, but I think each wasp produces about 5 - 10 offspring,
    as opposed to a fly which produces thousands.  This is why you
    have to get a new shipment every 3 weeks - the wasps will reproduce,
    but not quickly enough to control the flies.
    
    In many areas, the wasps, or one of their close relatives, *are*
    native - they just are not present in sufficient numbers to provide
    effective fly control.  Also, the wasps are eaten by birds.  The
    population doesn't get out of control.
    
    The wasps do not have a wide range.  If you release them on your
    own property, you would be unlikely to find them several hundred
    feet away.  When you release them, you have to be careful to release
    them near the fly breeding areas - i.e. manure, damp areas, etc.
    
    I was a biology/ecology major, and am very sensitive to environmental
    impact.  This is very similar to using ladybugs and praying mantises
    in agriculture to control pests; these insects are native, but not in 
    sufficient numbers to provide adequate pest control.  Boosting the
    population doesn't destroy the balance because the extra numbers
    can only be supported while the pest population is high.  The pest
    population is high because of the situation created by man - whether
    it be large crop fields or a boarding stable.  Once the food supply
    is gone, the predator population will adjust accordingly.
    
    I urge everyone to be very careful with the "feed-through fly control"
    and related chemicals.  The name of this substance eludes me, but
    I will find it tonight.  This chemical, even in minute quantities,
    is devastating to fish.  There is a run-off stream on my property
    and I absolutely will not touch the stuff, because who knows where
    it would end up.  Also, as I mentioned earlier, this substance may
    not be as safe for horses as was once thought.
    
    I agree with 871.3 in that there have been countless cases where
    the introduction of non-native animals have caused problems.  However,
    I feel that enough research has been done on these wasps to indicate
    that this is not one of those hazardous situations, primarily because
    the population is so easily contained due to low reproductive rate,
    limited range, specialized food source (flies only), control by
    native predators, and winter kill.  I apologize for the length of
    this note, but I felt that a detailed reply to the legitiamte concerns 
    raised in 871.3 was needed.

Re: .4

I haven't used the tail strips, but we did try the face strips (goes over horses
ears on elastic band closed by velcro).  One of our horses was sensitive to it
and had some swelling around his eyes.  So I'd be careful.  Attached to the tail
it would be hard to get the stuff on their face, but they still could get a
reaction somewhere on their body.  Also I didn't think the face strips did a
really good job at keeping flies away.

On fly predators:

We used them for several years.  The wasps are very tiny and don't fly very
far, so they wouldn't pose too much of a threat.  They only prey on fly larvae,
they don't sting people or animals, so they would seem to be very safe for the
environment.  Also they are killed by frost or freezing weather.  We had very
good luck with them.

Another idea:

We also used the sticky fly strips in our barn to catch what remaining flies
were around.  They are non-toxic, but you do have to remember not to bump into
them!

						Jan

    re: .6
    
    Thanks for putting in all that information.  I *was* wondering 
    why we had to get new batches of wasps and what happend to the
    old ones.  I'm absolutely going to do this system this year...
    last year I had a bumper crop of flies and I could not convince
    them to move out and get their own place.  They found the gravy
    train and they stayed on it.
    
    Does anyone have any further information on or experience with
    the diatomaceous earth mentioned earlier?  I looked it up in the
    dictionary and that says that it is "A white or cream-colored
    siliceous earth composed of the shells of diatoms."    And a diatom
    is "Any of various minute, unicellular or colonial algae of the
    class Bacillariophyceae, having siliceous cell walls consisting
    of two overlapping, symmetrical parts."  Yeah, but will it kill
    flies?!
    
    gwen
     

    How much do these wasps cost?
    

    re: .8, diatomaceous earth
    
    Diatomaceous earth is the remains of diatoms, from the sea.  It
    is a fine white powder made up of the minute shells of these animals.
    When dusted on crops (or manure piles or what-have-you) it acts
    as an insecticide.  From what I understand (and I have read differing
    explanations of *why* it works) the insect either ingests the stuff
    or gets it on his outsides.  The sharp edges of the shells cut the
    insides up and kill the insect or it cuts the waxy coating of the
    outside of the bug and it ends up dying of dehydration.  I tend
    to concur with the latter theory (death from dehydration) because
    I've never had luck with D/E in humid weather, and they tell you
    to reapply the stuff more often in damp weather...
    
    I use it in gardening, as part of a comprehensive effort to avoid
    chemicals but still end up with enough stuff to eat!  Be careful
    about breathing the stuff - it's not toxic like some of the chemicals
    but it can leave you with a cough.  (BTW, it also acts somewhat
    like lime in raising the pH of the stuff it comes in contact with,
    which is good for a manure pile, and it adds calcium too)

    A half-unit of the wasps, which I think works for 1 - 5 horses,
    costs around $13.00 including shipping.  If you prepay by March
    20 for your planned shipments during the summer, you can save 10%.
    
    I think one of the reasons this is such a successful method is that
    the flies are killed *before* they hatch - which means before they
    can reproduce.  This is critical, because flies reproduce so quickly.
    If you kill one fly with spray after it has a chance to reproduce,
    you will still have thousands more to deal with.  If you kill it
    before it can reproduce, you don't have to deal with its offspring,
    etc.

    re: cost
    
    If I order and pay by March 15, my total cost for the season will
    be $109.  That is a half order which they say is enough for my 5
    horses.  *AND* they say if it isn't enough they will send more wasps
    at no charge!  What a deal. 
    
    re:  diatomaceous earth
    
    Thanks for the information...is this readily available at my local
    pool supply place?  
    
    gwen
    

What kind of "flies" are we talking about?  Do these wasps control
black flies, mosquitos, deer flies and house flies?   Or do they only
control one specific type of fly?

Melinda

    re :12 <diatomaceous earth>
    
    Dunno about availability at pool supply stores, not having a pool!
    I order mine through seed catalogs (vermont bean, johnny's selected
    seeds, etc)
    
    Dana
    
    p.s. probably would be cheaper in bulk at a pool supply place though
    - let us know if you find it there!

    re: 14 - diatomaceous earth availability
    
    We have a pool...I'll check with my roommate.  All I really am
    competent to do is turn the filter on and off, but I'm pretty
    sure that it uses d.e.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if this turned
    out to be an easy, cheap and convenient fly killer?  (What am I
    saying...I must be dreaming).
    
    Gwen
    

    But the wasps would be killed by the diatomaceous earth along with
    the flies, right?
    
    If your manure pile is far away from the barn, couldn't you use
    d.e. in the barn, and wasps on the manure pile?