Tick protection

[lilnickers]

Hi, I haven't been on here in ages!! I am so glad to see the forum is still thriving!

I have a question:

What does everyone use for a tick deterrent?

I have 15 minis and wonder if the Equi-Spot that is made for big horses would be ok for the minis.

Or any other ideas that work!

Thank you!!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I tried the equi spot many years ago. Now I find that if I spray their legs with oil-base fly spray every other day or so it helps tremendously. We have a lot of ticks this year, for some reason.

 

[Cayuse]

I had a pony have a reaction to equi spot years ago so I won't use it. I just spray their legs, their belly and make sure I get an application of bug spray in that deep groove under their chin and between their jowls as that is where I usually find a tick if I'm going to find one. I spray the rest of the body, but those areas are where I concentrate on. I hate ticks. Over the years I have had two horses with Lyme and one with anaplasmosis.

 

[paintponylvr]

I found one of the best deterrents to ticks to be Guinneas! Wow, do they chase down and get rid of them...

Other than that, I've done a variety of things over the years and I'm very glad that I don't have any "true" minis under 36" in height. The worst tick infestation that I dealt with, in 2012, was pretty awful and I regularly found them attached to the mares' vulva/genital areas & udder, too (& wonder about the stallions/geldings - but never saw any there). The same treatment, from year to year, didn't always work - really depended on the ticks themselves as well as the ponies.

 

[Debby - LB]

I need some Guinneas! Our main problems are mosquitos and fire ants.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We have tried guineas here. Too many varmints. We couldn't keep them.

 

[Cayuse]

We have had a resurgence of wild turkeys in this area and they do a pretty good job of keeping down the bugs like guinea hens. I wonder if domesticated turkeys would do the same.

The wild ones are fun to watch. Pretty tame, too. But the horses hate them. Or at least mine do.

 

[paintponylvr]

We have tried guineas here. Too many varmints. We couldn't keep them.

I'm sorry! We are in the same "boat" here on our new property. I can't "keep" free range birds - like you - too many predators, even neighborhood dogs that dig under our pasture perimeter fence(s).

We are getting electrified netting for "pasturing" the birds and will see if that will work. It's a permaculture/gardening "thing" and the "pastures" can be moved to move the goodness of the birds around the areas you want them in. Guineas have a tendency to fly over the fencing though. Heavier birds do not.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I'm sorry! We are in the same "boat" here on our new property. I can't "keep" free range birds - like you - too many predators, even neighborhood dogs that dig under our pasture perimeter fence(s).

We are getting electrified netting for "pasturing" the birds and will see if that will work. It's a permaculture/gardening "thing" and the "pastures" can be moved to move the goodness of the birds around the areas you want them in. Guineas have a tendency to fly over the fencing though. Heavier birds do not.

Yes, the guineas we had preferred to roost in the trees, like wild turkeys.