To the equestrian, summer means trail rides, horse shows and gorgeous sunsets over green fields. Unfortunately, the warmer weather also brings with it the equestrian’s biggest nuisance: flies! There are many options for fly control, but for the individual horse, the most popular is the tried and true fly spray. But it’s so expensive! Last year I made my own, and today I’m sharing my homemade fly spray recipe.
As the owner of a sensitive, horse who hates flies, I’ve run the gamut of fly control. I’ve tried just about every fly spray out there, but I found myself spending hundreds of dollars each summer on commercial products without much relief from these pesky insects. So I talked to friends at the barn, consulted the internet at large and made my own fly spray all last summer.
My Homemade Fly Spray Recipe
I’ve tried several variations, but found this one to be just the right blend of easy to make with cost effective ingredients and it works just as well (if not better) than any commercial fly spray I tried. You can find all of these ingredients at your local grocery or convenient store and the recipe itself isn’t rocket science:
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1 part Vinegar
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1 part Pine Sol
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1 part Water
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2-3 drops of Dish soap (optional)
You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar – I’ve used both and never noticed a different between the two. I use regular, plain old Pine Sol, although if you’d prefer lemon scent, go for it. I use a few drops of Dial dish soap to help the pine sol, vinegar and water mix together. The measurements don’t have to be exact, I just pour each into a spray bottle, shake and spray.
How Cost Effective is Homemade Fly Spray?
I can make 32oz of my fly spray for under $1.50 each. So yeah, I’d say it’s HIGHLY cost effective, compared to the same size of Absorbine UltraShield ($20.95), Pyranha Wipe N’ Spray ($17.95) or Farnam Repel-X ($13.95).
I buy the largest sizes of vinegar and pine sol I can, and they run about $3 and $7 respectively for about 100oz of each. I use dish soap as my everyday day to bathing soap, so while I included the $3 of the entire bottle, 2-3 drops hardly makes a dent in it. In fact, I probably buy 1-2 bottles a year and use it for fly spray, bathing, cleaning brushes and other miscellaneous stable items.
Does Homemade Fly Spray Really Work?
Yeah, it does. Look, it’s not magic – flies will still come around, although it does make a noticeable difference. The spray doesn’t last forever – only about 45 minutes to an hour until it begins to lose its effectiveness. However, I’ve never found a commercial fly spray that was any better… and I’ve tried them all. So for pennies on the dollar, I’d rather make my own and reapply.
Awesome! Do you notice a difference for no-see-ums too? (Gnats are the WORST here!)
Yes! I notice the biggest difference with the amount of gnats and horse flies — regular flies also stay away, but I still see one or two after application.