I for one am glad I had the girls vaccinated for West Nile virus! Since we've had the record spring rainfall, there has been standing water in the neighboring farm fields. The mosquitoes are just vicious! Once they discover you out there, it's as if they tell the entire swarm and then you're under attack! I don't think I've ever seen so many! How about all of you? Are you dealing with numerous mosquitoes? And are your horses protected?
16 comments:
We're not too bad here with the mosquitos this year. I do spray the boys a lot though so that helps if there are some around. Also the big ceiling fans in the barn keep the flies and mosquitos out so the boys hang out in there if it gets too buggy. I am going to get some of those fly masks though, they look like they will be really good. I hope Blue Seal has them or I will have to order online from Tractor Supply. I'll check it out tomorrow. Thanks for posting about it!
You are RIGHT, lobster IS just like eating candy! That's a good way to put it, I'm going to remember that one!!
They spray for skeeters around here- on the coast they grow some impressive ones. You know, the kind where two of them fly up to a horse, and decide if they are going to eat him there, or take him back in the woods. Small children are not allowed outside with out tethers, for fear that they will be flown off with. One hit me the other night, and thank Godit was only one of them... I was weak from anemia for 4 days...
All kidding aside-- we have some skeeters here. (Big ones) and they do spray for them. Phew! We alos have swarms of Purple Martins, and LOADS of other birds here on the lake that keep our little corner pretty nice. Venture anywehre else though, and I can not make any promises on how things will be!
As to protection for the horses-- MOSQUITO HALT!!! Its kind of pricey, but if I spray the horses really well, against the grain of the hair too, it actually does last for about 3 days/ nights. Works for me! ;)
I just make sure I don't work with my horse or ride around mosquito time, which is around dusk here. They drive me as crazy as him. So far, they haven't been too bad this year. And my horse has his west nile even though cases are rare here. I like to be prepared!
I just despise mosquitoes. Somebody needs to tell me why they are a necessary form of wildlife. Any standing water on the farm is emptied so there is no breeding ground for them. Now about the pond, I try to stay away from there or go quickly past it. When I need to be out for a long time, I will use Avon's Skin So Soft, it works.
Thanks all, Interesting comments...Ours are just so bad this year and I HATE wearing bugspray. Skin So Soft doesn't work on me.The barn swallows do their best to keep up with them!
We are very fortunate this year, misquito numbers are much lower than normal. I am very grateful because I seem to react more than most to the bites.
We vaccinate our horses for West Nile every year.
Quick question for anyone:
When you spray your horses with fly spray do you spray on the "saddle area"? I spray my horses when I turn them out and if I'm planning on riding within a few days I don't, because I wonder if it may cause irritation. I use those sprays that are supposed to last "at least 3 days" (ha ha, yeah right!)
Callie: Off has a spray that works fairly well and isn't as chemically smelly as the old ones. Its called 'Off Skintastic' and I find it much easier to wear.
Also, have you tried taking garlic pills? Bugs LOVE me so I started taking "odourless" garlic pills. They aren't quite odourless but at least you don't totally reek of garlic, and they do seem to work somewhat.
I spray the withers and flanks as well as legs. I don't think I could get away with the garlic pills, LOL, as Steve hates even the mildest hint of garlic. We'd be sleeping in seperate beds if I did that , LOL, but I may try the skintastic.
The Mosquito is the Louisiana State Bird. I swear those suckers down here can cary you away. All of our horses get their west nile shots. Too many horses here die from it. As soon as the sun starts to go down, get ready, out come the mosquitos.
We don't have mosquitos - well a few. We just have BUGS everywhere. Flys aren't too bad, but BUGGY - ready for the cold so they will go away. :)
Tons of 'skeeters' here. Big, small you name it. The horses get west nile vacinations every year so I don't have to fret about them. I'll have to try the Mosquito Halt that someone referenced, the bugs have really been going after the horses - both of them travel around with a little black swarm of gnats, like Pigpen from Charlie Brown but none of the sprays seem to be working.
The mosquitoes are really bad this year here too. Early mornings and late evenings are usually the time that I get to ride this time of year-to avoid the dreaded noseflies-but not this year. The mosquitoes are vicious.
We haven't vaccinated for West Nile for several years. It seems to have run its course in this part of the country and there haven't been any cases of it the last couple years-that I am aware of.
The horses in town(where the mosquitoes seem to be the worst) are fed Lamphley's Formula 7-it is a B-complex supplement. High levels of the B-complex vitamins has been proven to combat West Nile and other diseases.
Another natural product that helps repel mosquitoes is adding about 1/4 c. of Cold-Pressed Apple Cider Vinegar to your horses feed once a day. A couple of Tblsp daily helps people too. Strangely enough-it really helps the arthritis in my elbows too. But it is one of those things that takes time to work into the system(a couple of weeks), so no immediate relief will be noticed.
Despite all the other drama we're having with insects, the mosquitos aren't too bad. I hope I didn't just jinx it! What is there that makes some people taste so good and yet, the little devils ignore the guy sitting next to you? My husband eats a lot of spicy food and garlic, so he swears that they get burned when they bite him.
We used to have lots of problems with mosquitos here until we cut down most of the trees. That's made a huge difference.
I complain with you. I think this desease does not exist here. I hope the mosquitoes won't succeed in crossing the ocean.
I think blogger ate my comment?
It didn't, I just worked my usual weekend and haven't been able to moderate them properly. Sorry BECS, but it's there. Thanks all for weighing in! I just work 12 hour night shifts on Friday and Saturday and unable to get to blogger from work and Sunday is spent sleeping all the day!
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