Flies and Extreme Heat (HELP!) - Page 2

That is crazy Molly because our untouched one is our solid black, so I guess the color theory doesn't "fly"...lol

I still use Odo ban on all concrete floors the most of gsds are in     and in the nursery, one of my girls opens the door everyday behind my back and in come flies...I spray the odo ban in the air and on everyting around        dead flies....my ears arent bothered....

I have a pest next door     a minature horse and they dont take care of it...so flies are doubled this season...

I spray on my dogs ears occasionally      Adams   water base   flea  spray in the blue bottle   just for precaution.....

I may need to invest in a bottle of permethrin    for safe keeping   in case of.....

I do burn citronella candles on the front porch at night and in the morning when I sit and drink my coffee......seems the flies want to come visit as soon as I sit down.....I like the smell of them anyway...

Defy the Fly collars work extremely well.  They smell good too! 

Vickie

www.PowerHausKennels.com

but the darker color attracts more flies theory also doesn't fly, because all of my dogs are dark - the solid black obviously is the darkest, but even the dark sables have black or near-black ears - the bicolors have black ears, even the black/tans have black ears especially at the tips.  ??

molly

Someone posted along time ago about dia....something.....earth.  They posted that you could put it in your dogs food and the dog eats it and poops it out with the food excrement and that the fly eggs that are laid on the poop don't hatch!

Who posted that? 

I woud like that info again!  I had a few flies in the spring but funny thing is now I don't have hardly any!

Vickie

www.PowerHausKennels.com

OK I know nothing about fly problems so please don't crucify my for this SUGGESTION.  And I hope the experts with this problem will correct me if I'm wrong.  Would it be OK to put some Vaseline on the tips of the dogs ears so that the flies can't bite thru that?  Or would that cause problems with dogs rubbing it into their eyes?  Just something I thought of.  Don't know if it's a feasible solution or not.

I mentioned Vaseline before - yes it does work but has to be re-applied often.

molly

If the normal repellents don't seem to work well, mix some citronella with the vaseline, and apply it 3, 4 times a day. That usually works. As Molly and Lousie said, you have to keep the dried blood washed off the tips of the ears. Leaving it there to build up draws biting flies.

I don't think it's the color that draws biting flies. I used to have 14, 15 malamutes living in the middle of a dairy farm, fly heaven. They were all colors ranging from red, to black, to sable, to grays and one  solid white. The white got the worst of the fly strikes and he was the dog that needed the vaseline AND repellant 3, 4 times every day of fly season. I think it has as much to do with an attractive odor as color.  However, some of you might want to run out and buy a white GSD to put my theory to the test . About half of my kennel, sometimes 12, 14 dogs were subject to fly strikes,  the others never had any with or without treatment. Go figure......................

i've always thought it had more to do with body heat and odor than color.  at our house it seems like the ones who have more of a dog smell are the ones that are bothered worse by flies.  we use oil based horse spray on the ears, however, if its above 90* our dogs all come in the house to the a/c..........all seven of them.  yes, i have been told that i spoil the dogs and make wussies of them.  i don't care.  i can't bear the thought of them suffering in the heat or having to put up with flies.

pjp

Like a lot of others have said ,  you have to get the ear completely clean first. 

I apply swat on a daily basis, and even after a few days, the dogs ears need to be cleaned again, due to the swat caking and drying.  

I have definately noticed that some dogs attract the flys more than ohers,   whether it is odor , or possible that some dogs don't care if the flys are on their ears.    I have one older male that does not care,  so I have to be extra careful with keeping his ears slimed with swat.   

I do like Permethrins, but would caution putting it directly on an ear that you had to scrub alot of scabs off.  It could burn and make the hair grow back white , because it will scar.    So, if I have an ear that is really bad, I will use swat, because it is a healing ointment as well as a mild fly repelent.  

If I use Permethrins,   I actually like a product called    " BACK RUBBER POUR ON"   It is for cattle,  it is very oily, I also use it as a flea repelent, because the active ingredients kills a ton of insects, fleas being one of them.    It won't say it on the label, but I researched it. 

It comes in a 2.5 gallon container, and only cost, $30.   Very cost effective.    I use it as a horse fly spray also. 

To use the cattle spray for fleas,   I put it in a spray bottle and will give one full spray on the dogs back, as if it were " Advantage " 

Ihave also used in my kennels.   I have had great results with it. 

: )

p.s.   I have a white german shepherd that I rescued, I have to be on top of his ears, because the flys love his ears, and his ears will turn black at the top,   I think it is from dirt collecting from the swat.   So, I have to thoroughly clean his ears every couple of days. 

Flys are a pain !!   And heaven forbid if I have to go out of town for 2 days and I tell someone to make sure the dogs get Swat on their ears and the person forgets!   AAAARRRRGGGG !!  

Amanda