Five years ago (Summer 2010), we built our first pasture friendly, chemical free, horsefly traps. Each year, we see fewer and fewer of these nasty horse eating pests. The traps catch a lot of the female greenheads / horseflies, but they also catch a few wasps, mosquitoes, and other flying bugs that were attracted to our big wood traps.
You can see the original photos dating back to 2010 on our Kearsarge Meadows page on FaceBook.
Due to the sheer size and weight of the traps, they have stood up to all sorts of wicked winds! Of course, due to their heft, they require some effort to move and position.
This model was being delivered to the pasture by ATV is the Holstein. :-) Note the black and white "tail", made from painted hay bale twines. :-)
We have found with experience that careful positioning the traps makes a world of difference. Ideally, the traps need to be placed along the flight path of the hungry horseflies as they go in search of fresh blood. So, it really helps to know where the horseflies are hatching! In our case, the farm pond is the hatching grounds. We place the traps on the side of the pastures closest to the pond.
The durability of the traps has been fantastic thanks to keeping them indoors during the winter season. The only parts that have needed maintenance so far are the bungy cords which hold the containment systems in place, and the containment system, which is the popular "Trap & Toss" without the chemicals added.
Our horses graze around our traps with no problems at all. There are lots of horsefly traps available on the open market. If you have not considered purchasing one and you have horseflies, build or buy yourself a trap or two! Your horses will thank you for it!
