If you’re not absolutely delighted with the effectiveness of your Fly Predators this season reach out at 800-737-2753. Now is the time to make adjustments to your Fly Predator program to get it working as it should. Spalding Labs agents have years of experience helping customers with tough fly problems and can get almost any fly problem under control!

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Now, here’s the... 

Four Most Likely Reasons You Might Still Have Too Many Flies And What To Do To Get Rid of Them NOW!

1. A Wetter Than Normal Year or Areas Kept Moist
If you have had more rain than normal this year or if there are moist/wet areas from leaky faucets, water troughs, etc. you will see more flies. Pest fly larvae need to be in a moist medium (40-60% water) or their survival rate is low. That’s why spreading manure thinly to dry quickly is a good fly control technique. However, if it rains (or you irrigate the pasture) then the manure that was previously too dry can become an optimum fly factory.

If you live in a hot dry area, ALL of the flies reproducing on your property will be coming from the few damp areas. Non obvious places can include spoiled feed or hay, old round bales, under stall mats, grass clipping or compost piles, manure left in trailers, the drainage from a wash rack, the “favorite” spot that happens to be kept wet with urine, even if the manure is removed daily. Biting Stable Flies reproduce in spoiled vegetation as well as horse manure.

2. Too Few Fly Predators or Releasing Incorrectly
Fly Predators need to be released reasonably close to where pest flies reproduce which is often not where you see adult flies. Fly Predators travel up to 150 feet, so if your horses spend a lot of time in the pasture, but you’ve only been putting Fly Predators in the barn, they’ll never reach the pasture hatching flies.

Our guideline of 1,000 per large animal is sufficient most of the time yet if you still have too many flies, then this year you could need more. Unless your flies are coming from off your property, see Inward Migration below. Also with more rain than normal, you’ll need more Fly Predators.

3. Maybe It’s Time for a Pickup
Good sanitation makes a huge difference as well. If you remove manure and other fly breeding areas completely or make it unsuitable for fly reproduction by drying or putting it in a big pile (where all but the outer 6 inches get too warm) then you’ll have fewer flies. If the manure stays where it falls, you could need more Fly Predators than 1,000 per large animal. Control is still possible.

4. Inward Migration from Neighboring Animals
A pest fly can easily travel 1/4 mile so if you have neighbors with animals within that range you’re likely seeing their flies. The closer they are and the more animals they have the bigger the problem. Two horses 1/4 mile away are not a big issue, cows in the adjacent pasture or horses across the street are. Get your neighbors to use Fly Predators and then no one will have flies. Sometimes the most pragmatic solution is to throw Fly Predators over the fence.

Use Traps To Get Adult Flies You Have Now
Whether your extra flies came over from neighbors or happened for any of the above reasons you’ll be stuck with them for 3 weeks. For quickest relief we recommend adding traps to get those adult flies while Fly Predators are stopping future ones. If you reduce the adult fly population quickly with an aggressive trapping program (plus baits if you don’t mind pesticides) you can see results in a week or two.

Plan on 3 different trap types each in different places. Use odor traps to draw flies away from your barn and to intercept those coming from your neighbors. Sticky traps are good for inside the barn as they will get the flies there, but will not bring more in. The only trap that will get the Biting Stable Flies is the BiteFree. The only trap that gets Horse Flies and Deer Flies is the H-Trap. Fly bait or selective fly spray, away from manure areas, will not harm Fly Predators.
 
Spalding Labs is the Fly Control expert so call 800-737-2753 for customized assistance to your needs. If you absolutely don't have time for a brief call, please feel free to send an email to get your Fly Control program working as it should.