Fly Predator Update

After smashing and mashing and crushing, as well as brushing and sweeping, most of the 5000 little fly predators are gone from this now "fly free" zone. Spalding, the vendor for Fly Predators suggested all the little creatures in the house could be vacuumed up and discarded, which has worked well so far. Since the fly predators live on manure, (as in horse manure) and as a general rule we don't have any laying around inside our home, the little fellas will die off within 24-48 hours. While yesterday was creepy, today is much better. Read about how they got away here.

Spalding Fly Predators are a terrific product created to sprinkle around outside animal manure pens, piles, and/or droppings to eliminate flys. It really works well, when used as intended and outside there are no flys, thanks to this product. To read more about the biology behind product that is available for horses, cows and dogs, click here. Spalding is sending us a free packet of the little guys to make up for the ones that got away. Thank you Spalding.
Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus

Spalding Fly Predators

No one wants bugs or flys in their house, and this Chicagoland home won't have any for quite a while, thanks to Spalding Fly Predators, an ultimate method of fly control. This morning, hundreds of tiny ant like creatures were crawling all over the white shirts on their way to the laundry service. Creeped out, I moved all the shirts, papers, etc. outside and then discovered the problem. A package of Fly Predators had apparently opened just enough for the tiny, completely biteless and stingless animals to emerge. While the advertising claims They never become a pest themselves. After they've emerged, their single minded pursuit is to reproduce by finding pest fly pupa. Because of their small size and the fact they live their entire life cycle on or near manure (where the pest fly pupae are typically found), Fly Predators go virtually unnoticed. Unless they are on the walls and/or ceiling where they are most definitely noticed.

What to do? What anyone would do, get out the bug spray and spray away. I did. They died. They dropped from the walls and ceiling, and a soapy paper towel wiped them away. Just for one's mental health, a second and then third soapy paper towel wiped the same surfaces. Why have fly predators? I have horses, and horses eat and then defecate, leaving mounds of manure which is then collected and placed, thankfully by our barn hand, into a manure pile. Each season the pile is loaded onto a huge truck and carted away to manure land, as far as I know. Manure creates flys and Spalding Fly Predators are opened and sprinkled all around the manure to stop any fly development. They work wonders outside, and I have to admit, there were no flies in the house last night.

Here's the real information about the product: There's no downside as the Fly Predators do not bother either people or animals. Equally important you stop flies before they have a chance to reproduce. A 4% survival rate means you've got around 15 new flies coming for every one you see today as each female fly can lay up to 900 eggs. That's why controlling flies by just attacking the adults with sprays, baits, traps, etc. is almost always a losing battle.

Spalding Fly Predators do work and every month a small envelope of them arrive in the larvae stage. Once they have emerged into the tiny ant like creature they become, it is time to put the entire package outside to do their work. The package is now out and doing what it is intended to do. All crawling things have been killed, and all surfaces have been wiped down, several times. I am almost over the creepy feeling I have and will be once I hit the shower, where I am going. Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus

Lucy Leaves the Herd

Lucy, the American Quarter Horse Bay mare, left the herd yesterday to start a new life in a stable a short distance away. As the day of Lucy's departure drew near, her upcoming loss to the herd became a discussion point. Since horse herds bond as families, when one of the herd is removed the remaining horses grieve at their loss. The thought of Belle, Sammy and Annie missing their friend and/or mother was painful. As the alpha mare of the herd, Lucy told the other horses what to do and when to do it. It was not uncommon to see Lucy nipping at one of the herd to get that horse "in line."

A few weeks earlier, Curly, the one year old colt of Lucy, also left the farm and joined a group of reining horses at a stable about 10 miles away. Reining is a competitive sport where horses are judged on their ability to perform maneuvers similar to a figure skater. Reining horses can earn millions of dollars performing in events across the country. Coming from a long line of reining horses, Curly will be the top dog, errr horse, in the competition. When Curly left the herd a few weeks ago none of the horses seemed to miss him, including his mother, Lucy. There was no running, no seeking, and no nickering. His buddy, the other year old colt, Sammy, stood gazing into space as if wondering where his partner in crime was hiding.

Lucy's departure was somewhat heart-wrenching to this somewhatfortyplus horse breeder. Watching Lucy load into the trailer from afar, I wondered what she was thinking. Her new farm houses several horses, and Lucy will probably check them all out and again become the alpha mare sooner, rather then later, unless the new place has an alpha mare who has stronger dominance tendencies than Lucy. The new owner, a horse trainer by trade who had been with Lucy several times prior to driving away with her, will be back with us on a regular basis as she prepares Sammy for the next phase in his life, accepting riders.

The herd is smaller today. Sorrel horse Belle is pregnant, due in late April or early May. Sammy, the year old sorrel colt, was running and jumping in the pasture with Annie, the five month old filly at his side. Tired from their frolicking in the grass, Sammy, Annie and Belle laid down in the sun behind the barn and took their morning nap, at peace with the world.

Photo attribution: somewhatfrank

25 Day Old Annie - American Quarter Horse Filly

Watching Annie grow has become a past time for many. Twenty-five day old Annie, an American Quarter Horse filly, continues to get bigger as she enters her fourth week of life, as seen in the new short video. Though Annie is only seen eating, walking and watching the photographer, the short clip shows her well shaped head and long eyelashes. The newborn foal blanket continues to display more and more of Annie's rump as she packs on the pounds and inches. She is a lot taller then last week and weighs more -- the grain and hay Annie eats must be working wonders for her. Maybe the bathroom scale needs to find a home in the barn.
Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus

Bottled Water for Horses

Frequent visits to the watering trough recently by mares Belle and Lucy (not their real names) where they would stop, take a quick drink and then stare at the water reminded me of the need for bottled water for horses. It would be so easy if big plastic bottles could be available on a "as needed" basis for horses. A bottled water carrier for horses could even be developed with a flip off top.

Lucy and Belle used to live on a 200 acre ranch with a river running through it. They could run, frolic in the snow, even make snow angels if they were so inclined. They drank from the river, and all water in their troughs was river water.

When Belle and Lucy arrived at this abode, they took one sip of the well water in their troughs and spit it out. If they could have proclaimed "Yuck!" they would have. They quickly turned and walked away, only to return a few minutes later and try another gulp. The previous owner watched and reminded us horses take a while to warm up to the taste of new water but eventually they would drink. A few more spits and their acquired thirst required them to drink at the trough.

Anyone used to drinking only bottled water will eventually drink city water, if thirsty enough. Water from various regions has a different taste, but did you know horses can also taste the difference? Belle and Lucy now drink heated well water that is kept from freezing during the cold Chicagoland winters due to water heaters installed in each trough.

Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus

Stud Service Coming Soon

Belle will soon be "in heat," and a new husband is in order so she may again become pregnant, carry the baby for eleven months and foal in February of 2009. Belle (not her real name) is a sorrel quarter horse who has resided in my barn for quite some time. Last March she had a colt, a cute little guy named Sampson (not his real name). Born two weeks late, he was a strapping big boy at birth, and the name seemed to fit him well. Sammy is a gentle yearling who enjoys snow, birds, falling leaves, and apples. He loves to be near when one is in the pasture, in the barn, or even in the yard. He has the gentle temperment of his loving mother, Belle, and is easy to work with and train.

Soon Belle will be bred to a grey quarter horse, Smart Berry (his real name), in mid to late February. In the meantime Belle is "under the lights" in the barn to trick her reproductive system into believing it is spring, complete with longer days and more hours of daylight. As everyone knows, in the spring one's thoughts turn to the birds and the bees, and in this case, Belle and babies. Stay tuned.
Photo attribution: somewhatfortyplus