Mosquitos control for goats?

eclipchic · #1 05/22/11, 04:56 PM

I think we've narrowed down our milk issues to mosquitoes bugging the living daylights out of our doe. I started noting the low volume days and its the days we put her out to pasture. If we leave her in the barn, on rainy wet days, we don't have problems. I bought some au natural bug spray to try and its just not working, makes her smell really nice but doesn't keep the mosquitoes away.

What's your best trick? I read in another post response ACV vinegar in the water (didn't work here) and using horse spray on the legs. Is there one horse spray thats better than the others. ((can I use it on us too! we are getting eaten just as bad))

We are just having a really bad season for the skeeters. If you've tried a mosquito trap will you say if it worked for you?

Alice In TX/MO · #2 05/22/11, 07:02 PM

Most of the horse sprays are Pyrethrin or a synthetic form of the same chemical. Dairy house sprays are the same.

HappyFarmer · #3 05/22/11, 08:08 PM

Muscovy Ducks or garlic powder

HF

eclipchic · #4 05/22/11, 08:20 PM

do the muscovy ducks eat the adult mosquitos or the larvae?
would the garlic powder make her milk taste garlic-y?

thx Alice, I wasn't sure if I needed to avoid any of them so I'll look on the label for something pyrethrin based

Backfourty,MI. · #5 05/22/11, 08:29 PM

http://www.tractorsupply.com/livesto...-spray-5024261

I started using this stuff last year & it seemed to work pretty good. Of course as wet as it's been this spring I'm not sure how good anything will be this year.
This stuff also comes in a gallon for $59.99.

I use to use Skin So Soft from Avon but I almost had to spray my goats daily with that & we all know how much goats like to get wet, well mine don't like getting sprayed down either & this stuff lasts the longest. It says up to 17 days but I think I did it last year about every 2 weeks.

HappyFarmer · #6 05/22/11, 08:56 PM

Muscovies eat all kinds of bugs, especially the young ones they jump in the air to get them! Not sure on the lavae but they sure do spend a lot of time with their bill under the water, and our mosquito population is not bad for having 2 ponds.

Yes, the milk will probably taste garlicky. They will smell like garlic after a month.

HF

susanne · #7 05/24/11, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Backfourty,MI.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/livesto...-spray-5024261

I started using this stuff last year & it seemed to work pretty good. Of course as wet as it's been this spring I'm not sure how good anything will be this year.
This stuff also comes in a gallon for $59.99.

not sure if i would use this for milker, probably not.

we had muscovy ducks and the mess they made with water and all the mud puddles after rain was not worth the mosquito control.
this year we have guinea fowls. much better choice for us.

momagoat61 · #8 05/24/11, 10:31 AM

I use Citronella oil in a spray bottle for mosquito and fly control on my pets, like my pet blind cow Sally Girl, and my 7 goats. I don't milk either so I don't have to worry about that. The goats don't mind being sprayed, but they think a little rain will melt them and they high tail it to the barn first drop of rain but they push and fight over who's getting sprayed first with the spray bottle.

eclipchic · #9 05/24/11, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susanne

not sure if i would use this for milker, probably not.

we had muscovy ducks and the mess they made with water and all the mud puddles after rain was not worth the mosquito control.
this year we have guinea fowls. much better choice for us.

I wish I would have seen this sooner, I just picked some up. hmmm, maybe I could just use a towel and wipe her legs and back?

I have a citronella based spray...its not working at all- smells great though. These mosquitoes are just vicious

Backfourty,MI. · #10 05/24/11, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susanne

not sure if i would use this for milker, probably not.

we had muscovy ducks and the mess they made with water and all the mud puddles after rain was not worth the mosquito control.
this year we have guinea fowls. much better choice for us.

Why not use it on a milker? I didn't think it would get into the milk. I'm very careful not to spray their teats since all our does' have kids with them right now except for 1 that's due next month & I was thinking I'd milk her.

We did get guinneas this spring though so I hope they take care of lots of mosquitos although I must have 5 or so bites on me already that are driving me crazy.

susanne · #11 05/25/11, 01:12 PM

kati with every think you apply to your milkers coat, you have to consider that it will be absorbed from the skin and then is in the blood stream/lymphatic system.
from there it can go into the milk. there are sprays formulated for dairies that you could use.

susanne · #12 05/25/11, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eclipchic

I wish I would have seen this sooner, I just picked some up. hmmm, maybe I could just use a towel and wipe her legs and back?

I have a citronella based spray...its not working at all- smells great though. These mosquitoes are just vicious

citronella is a much better choice. just need to apply more often.

eclipchic · #13 05/25/11, 04:27 PM

we had the pasture bush-hogged since it was overgrown and the martins are having a field day (quite literally) eating the mosquitos. I'm going to let it settle for a few days and keep them on hay until the weather dries out and we can remove the cut grass. I've been noticing her pattern of less milk on the bad mosquito days and more on the cool breezy ones.

The citronella based spray, I spray it on her and they are still swarming her. Its like I did nothing at all

I'm going to keep my eye out for dairy spray and order some mosquito traps while I'm at it.

anyone know if those Bt granules you can use on the lawn would hurt livestock (birds included)?