No Fly Zone – Appi Biotech Explains Its Biological Fly Control Options

Did you know beneficial insects can be used to control flies that bother you and your horse? Take a look at what Appi Biotech has to offer with its Bye-o-Fly products and make summer more enjoyable for both of you.

As horse owners we all look forward to the warmer weather. However, this comes with the unwelcome problem of flies and their potential health risks.

Equestrian environments provide lots of locations that are ideal for flies to breed and using chemical fly control products has become the norm.

These offer immediate relief, but the effects aren’t long-lasting. The reality is that once you need to start using a fly repellent then flies are already breeding.

Prevention is better than cure

Prevention is key with fly control and there is an alternative and cost-effective method that kills flies before they have a chance to become a nuisance.

Bye-o-Fly products are a biological fly control that is chemical free and is safe for humans, animals and the environment.

This method of control lasts longer, is impervious to resistance, and is much more efficient as it treats the site as a whole, rather than treating individual horses. For best results, start early (May/June).

What is biological fly control?

You may be unaware of biological fly control or sceptical about its effectiveness. This clever method introduces flies’ natural enemies, such as parasitic wasps and predatory mites, so that the flies are killed in their developing stages before they can become a nuisance.

Bye-o-Fly products have transformed yards. At some, it’s now unusual to see any flies at all, proving how effective these predators are.

Taking control

Depending on the issues that you have at your yard, Bye-o-Fly has a number of different products to help you get flies under control.

The first two products mentioned below arrive in cardboard tubes for easy scattering in specific areas.

Bye-o-Fly P is our primary fly control product. It consists of two tiny indigenous parasitoids of stable and house flies.

These species are two of around 9,000 species of wasp naturally occurring in the UK, and are the most commonly used in biological fly control worldwide today. They are not harmful to animals and humans.

These mini-wasps reproduce by laying their eggs inside the pupae of nuisance flies, stopping the development of the fly because the young wasp feeds on the contents of the fly pupa.

As a result, instead of a fly, a new mini wasp will hatch from the pupa, thereby continuing the cycle of fly control. A female mini wasp kills around 100 fly pupae during her lifetime.

Bye-o-Fly E is particularly useful for severe fly infestations when a quick response is required. This product is a predatory mite that attacks the eggs and larvae of pest flies and gnats.

The species is native to Europe and is found naturally in many habitats. Again, it is completely innocuous to animals and humans.

Bye-o-Fly Bucket Trap works in conjunction with the other Bye-o-Fly products to provide a fully integrated fly control system.

Sometimes with severe infestations there is also the need to trap breeding adults. This innovative baited design attracts, traps and kills adult flies in outdoor areas.

Appi offers a site assessment and will design a tailored plan for you and your horses. For more information on this service, email sales@ap-pi.com.
Find out more at bye-o-fly.co.uk.