Keeping pests out of a barn and away from horse feed is one of the biggest challenges faced on the farm. Insects flock to horse stables and feed for obvious reasons: warmth and hunger. They can spread disease to horses and cause digestive issues, discomfort, and even issues like stunted growth. Prevent these issues and keep your horses safe with the following tips.
Proper Sanitation is Important
The stable fly is the most common pest found inside a horse barn. The stable fly can cause painful bites on the horse’s legs, underbelly, and back. Proper sanitation is important in your efforts to keep stable flies out of the barn.
- Regularly remove manure from stalls, barns, and corrals
- Clean up leftover or spilled grain/feed
- Keep manure storage area as dry as possible
- Install proper drainage in barn stalls to prevent moisture buildup
- Clear out garbage
Feed Precaution
Keep horse feed stored correctly in a sealed container. A large metal bin with a tight lid is the usual feed storage container used inside bars. As mentioned, make sure to clean any spilled or leftover feed as soon as possible to prevent pest infestations.
Pest Control Solutions
After sanitizing the horse barn, explore pest control options, particularly stable fly control options. Animal-safe pesticides can help minimize the problem with stable flies tremendously.
Natural Remedies
Aside from traditional pest control solutions like sprays and baits, several natural remedies can help prevent or remedy pest problems in the barn.
Natural insect repellents that are safe for horses and work great in the barn include:
- Spray a water-vinegar solution onto a horse to prevent flies, mosquitoes, and other insects
- Spray a horse with citronella oil to repel flies for up to two days
- Apple cider vinegar fed to a horse with minced garlic is another great natural pest remedy
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