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When the weather turns warm and the biting flies become a nuisance, Betsy puts fly masks on my Friesians when they're outside in the paddocks.
A fly mask is highly effective in keeping flies from biting a horse's eyes and ears. These masks are comfortable to wear and do not impede the horse's vision.
Even Billy, one of the miniature donkeys doesn't seem to mind wearing a fly mask.
The fact is, when you keep large animals, you also have their manure - a perfect breeding ground for all kinds of pesky biting flies.
Betsy and her crew see that the horse stalls are cleaned out regularly. The manure and bedding hay are carted off to the compost area, but flies are already busy laying their eggs.
This is how the Fly Predators are shipped. They arrive in their immature pupa stage in a sealed see-through shipping pouch. The black kernel-like pupa are nestled among wood shavings.
A few days after arrival, the Fly Predators begin to emerge, at which time they may be released from the sealed bag.
Betsy starts by sprinkling some Fly Predators in a corner of the stable.
These 'predators' will go to work and deposit their eggs in the pupas of biting flies, thus killing them.
Pest flies breed on poultry droppings also, so Betsy sprinkles around the chicken coop.
Of course, the chickens are very curious.
The next area is the donkey paddock.
A liberal sprinkling is applied to where the donkeys play.
Betsy sprinkles random piles of manure.
A big problem area for hatching pest flies is the composting yard where there is a large mound of decaying manure and stable bedding hay.
Betsy sprinkles liberally around this area.
As you can see, with so much manure and moisture, this is a prime spot for flies to hatch.
The wetlands at the farm is another problem source.
A little here and a little there.
And finally, another paddock

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    • Partying in style with Sean 'Diddy' Combs

      Partying in style with Sean 'Diddy' Combs Nov 20, 2009 Read the Original

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