Bugs Inbound: More About Insect Control Supplements
Spring has officially sprung up here in Massachusetts. Flowers are starting to bloom, birds are back, and we only get the occasional little flurry of snow still! With the delight of warmer and longer days, it’s hard to think about seasonal changes and preparing for fly season. However, now is the best time to get your insect control plan in place and ready for the incoming bugs!
Fly control supplements are an easy and effective way to add more support for fly season to your horse’s program. There’s a lot of variety in this category, and supplements work in different ways to help mitigate those pesky bugs! I’ve tried many of these supplements with many different horses. For this blog, I have three favorite options that show the different support methods along with my personal experience with each!
Bye Bye Fly - Hilton Herbs
The first supplement on my list is Bye Bye Fly. This is a tried-and-true supplement that is comprised of just pure cold pressed garlic! While garlic offers support to many different areas, when it comes to insect control it helps to deter biting insects from your horse. In my experience, this is a great choice for individual horses at a boarding barn where not everyone is on a fly control supplement. It’s extremely cost-effective, and palatable for even the pickiest horses. I have two very picky mares, Winona and Truffles, and they each will eat this supplement without issue. I always know that if Truffles eats something, it’s definitely a tasty option! Since this supplement works by deterring the insects from the horse, it does not offer any control for lowering the population of flies. There are options that offer that technology though!
SimpliFly® - Farnam
SimpliFly is the second supplement out of my top three and works by preventing the development of larvae in the manure of horses who are fed this supplement. If you’re looking for a way to cut down on the fly population directly, this is an excellent choice! However, this supplement does need to be fed to all horses on the property in order to have a noticeable effect. I used this supplement in the past when boarding barns requested all boarders to be on it, and it did improve the fly population at the property! Since the only method of control in this supplement takes effect in the manure, if untreated horses are on the same property then the larvae will still be able to develop. For individual horses, SimpliFly isn’t a good match, but for a whole barn it’s a great choice!
SmartBug-Off® Ultra Pellets - SmartPak
Finally, my third supplement choice combines both ideas into one great option! SmartBug-Off, and its counterpart SmartBug-Off Ultra, has ingredients that deter the insects from your horse and impact larvae development in the manure. It has that same garlic that I love from other supplements, along with Apple Cider Vinegar and Brewer’s Yeast added for that same deterring factor. Then, it uses Diatomaceous Earth to disrupt the insect life cycle in the manure. SmartBug-Off also adds some support with MSM to support a healthy inflammatory response for any bites that do end up slipping through!
By combining these insect control methods, that makes SmartBug-Off the most versatile bug supplement t
hat we offer. It is a great choice for both individual horses, with its ingredients that help deter the insects from your horse. It also is a wonderful option for putting the whole barn on, with its ability to disrupt that larval stage in the manure! I have used this supplement at assorted boarding situations throughout the years, both for my individual horses and at barns that have the whole herd on it. It’s a versatile option that gives you the best of both methods of control.
For Winona and Truffles, I am planning to use SmartBug-Off this year. They’re at a boarding barn, so they need that individual support for deterring the insects. However, there are other boarders at the barn who also use assorted fly supplements so having that lifecycle deterrent added in will benefit all of the horses there. With the warmer weather, blooming flowers, and bugs on the way it’s a great time to figure out if an insect control supplement would fit into your horse’s program and what kind is best for you!
