Fly time is almost upon us (at least in some parts of the country), so I thought I'd share my favorite homemade fly-chaser. I learned about it at a goat listserve two years ago and have used it steadily since.

Mix 5 ounces of Ivory dish washing liquid (I understand Dawn works well too) with one quart of white vinegar--that's it!

I doubt this would repel deer and horseflies but it works exceedingly well for stable flies, house flies and the like. I use a pump bottle with an adjustable spray head to spritz it on my dairy goat before each milking and the flies leave her totally alone and bite *me* instead (although if I'm wearing shorts, I sometimes spritz my own legs and it works on me, too).

The soap element is cumulative, though, so the animal needs an occasional bath. I find once a week to 10 days is sufficient (and you needn't add shampoo).

Try it. I bet you'll be amazed!

Hoot