If there’s one thing that farriers can count on, it’s that fly season is just around the corner. Before you stock your farrier rig with insect repellent, it’s important to understand which pest you’re up against

“Every insect develops differently, has a different behavior and distribution pattern, which means that the control for each fly differs,” says Dr. Tim Gibb, a clinical professor of entomology at Purdue University. “Just one recipe won’t take care of all the flies. So, that’s why it’s important to know the difference between them.”

Your Best Bet

Being the practical lot that farriers are, however, carrying much more than one or two insecticides or repellents probably won’t be happening. Your best bet to limit flying pests are pyrethrins, which are “natural insecticides produced by certain species of the chrysanthemum plant,” according to the Pesticide Information Project (PIP).

PIP is part of the Cooperative Ex­tension Offices of Cornell University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University and the University of California at Davis.

“Pyrethrins are probably the most prevalent…