horse flies and wasps

[leisurlee]

Live in Cache Oklahoma, just west of Lawton. We have a few cows and chickens, however they are 1000 yards away from the house and 1200 away form the pool, this is our first year in the house. How can we lessen the pesty fling bugs?

thanks
leisurlee

22000 hayward pump inground kidney, diving board

 

[blakeusa]

I sprayed about 100 gallons of Sevin around our yard and woods -- about 3 weeks ago and I have had no bugs or horse flies. I could not even be outside before.

The trick I used was to put 1qt of sevin in a 50 gal trash can and filled with water. Then I dropped a small sump pump into the water and attached a garden hose. I was able to reach far out into the woods and get it done quickly.

Not big on using chemicals, but Sevin is not that bad. They use it in produce/ farms.

 

[AnnaK]

What an elegant and very creative solution to spraying a large area!

Couple of questions:
What size sump pump? Do you know the hp of it?
Did you have any trouble finding the proper connectors to hook a garden hose to it?
What kind of hose end sprayer did you use?

Our sump pump is rated for 2000 gph and might blow a garden hose apart but these pumps are fairly inexpensive at Harbor Freight. We're thinking of using your method with weed spray on our property. It sure would beat a pump sprayer.

 

[Kes]

I would advise a little caution. Sevin - apparently - kills all insects known to mankind, good or bad, pollutes water courses, may cause a reaction in mammals, especially dogs, and is banned in many countries, including the UK, Australia and Angola, as a carcinogen. I'm not sufficiently educated to argue the pros and cons of Sevin, but there's a lot of info available online.

 

[crek31]

I sprayed about 100 gallons of Sevin around our yard and woods -- about 3 weeks ago and I have had no bugs or horse flies. I could not even be outside before.

The trick I used was to put 1qt of sevin in a 50 gal trash can and filled with water. Then I dropped a small sump pump into the water and attached a garden hose. I was able to reach far out into the woods and get it done quickly.

Not big on using chemicals, but Sevin is not that bad. They use it in produce/ farms.

Did you spray 100 gallons, one quart at a time? Or did you use 2 quarts Sevin and 100 gallons of water?? Just curious.

 

[257WbyMag]

Having cattle, no matter how few, will means that you are going to have to contend with biting flies. Since you have the best watering hole (pool), everything is going to want to flock there even if it is 1200 yards away.

As mentioned, Sevin does work well but it is expensive when it comes to large broadcast applications. And then, when it rains, all your Sevin gets washed away.

Have you considered calling your extension agent for suggestions or help? Comanche County OSU Extension Agent can be reached at 580-355-1176.

 

[leisurlee]

thanks MOD SQUAD, I wlll call.

 

[magicalyak]

I usually use cypermethrin and this will work GREAT for wasps. Don't use knock-down spray but order the cypermethrin powder and mix 2 spoons with 1 gallon in a pump sprayer. Cypermethrin can actually be used indoors but it will make you sneeze if you breathe it in. It will leave a very fine white residue as it dries. The key is residual. Anything that says WP mean wettable powder and that's what I usually get. Demon and Cynoff are two brands but I usually get the cheap synthetic/generic. As for horseflies, that's a lot harder. Those guys you need DEET (which everyone will say is bad, but it's really the only thing that biting flies keep away from). For some more infrormation, you can look here - http://www.pestproducts.com/bitingflies.htm#repellent

I would also order cypermethrin online, you'll pay way too much for way too little at a home depot or Lowes.

Hope that helps. I'm a new pool owner but i have a hobby killing wasps (I can't stand wasps so I did a ton of research on this).

 

[rghilliard]

I would second the cypermethrin recommendation. It is an excellent general insecticide. I order it on ebay and spray about a gallon around my house every three months. I think I paid about $12 for enough to make four gallons. That is a year's worth of maintenance spraying for me. From what I read it is the most common maintenance spray used by pest control operators. There are better products for specific applications, but for general use it is relatively cheep and very effective. It also has little or no noticeable odor and is safe around non-aquatic pets once it dries. Sorry if that sounds like an infomercial, but it is good stuff.