Someone asked about controlling flies earlier this week. Once more, I have to brag on the barn swallows. Last weekend, we were picking up hay on the neighbor's adjoining farm and Cary said, "What's up with all the flies here?" I said, "No barns here, so no barn swallows." I'd noticed that before. We can trail ride within a short circumference of our barns and not be TOO bothered by flies. But, once we get past that point, all bets are off - we get dive bombed by the big ones. Don't get me wrong, we still have a few kinds of flies, but we almost never see one of the big horse flies until the week the swallows leave for parts south - about the first week of August. We always had some flies in the summer here - bugs are a fact of life in the south - but they are no worse since we have horses, actually may be slightly better now. I thank the barn swallows for moving in to help out. I'd guess their range might be something like a radius of 1500-2000 feet in all directions of their nests, but that's only a guess.
Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.16/849 - Release Date: 6/14/2007 12:44 PM
