FEBRUARY 2011 THE RIDER /57


THE WAY OF HORSES Bots


By Eleanor Blazer Copyright @ 2010


Is there a bot running in the background of your horse? In the technical world of computers a bot is an automated software program that runs in the background. Equine bots are unwanted parasites.


small bee. They can be seen darting around the legs, head and sides of horses. The adult bot fly does not bite, sting or eat – it lives on stored energy. The bot fly lives only to reproduce. As the bot zooms around the horse it lays eggs on the hair. The eggs are generally yellow in color. One egg at a time is attached to the hair.


The bot fly looks like a life cycle of the bot fly.


small intestine. They use sharp hooks located in their mouth to fasten themselves to the lining of your horse’s internal organs. They will remain for about seven to nine months…feeding on your horse. Bots at this stage can be either second or third instars.


Now to remove the eggs from the hair: daily grooming will aid in detecting eggs when they appear. You’ll find they are well attached. There are many tools on the market to help remove bots. Bot knives, grooming blocks, sandpaper, bot combs are examples. A safety razor will also work. Be careful when using sharp edged tools. You can use warm water


Once that part of the bot fly life cycle is complete, they pass through the large intestine and are expelled in the manure. The larvae burrow into the ground. In the summer and fall larvae pupate and become adult bot flies, mate and lay eggs on your horse…


One bot fly can lay sever- al hundred eggs on a horse. There are three types of bot flies that prefer horses. Each “species” has a favorite place to lay eggs. The “horse bot”, which is the most common, tar- gets the legs, flanks and girth area of the horse. The “nose bot”, which is rare, prefers the hairs around the muzzle. The “throat bot” lays eggs on long hairs under the jaw line.


The buzzing fly can cause some horses to become irritated. Many riders have been thrown because of a busy bot fly. The next step in the bot fly’s life cycle is for the egg to be transported to a moist warm environment – your horse’s digestive system. As the horse eats, grooms and rubs his nose


Researchers are not in agreement as to how much dam- age bot larvae can cause. It is generally accepted that bots are detrimental to the horse’s health. During the first instar stage, irritation to sensitive mouth tissue can be present. Infection and the loosening of teeth may occur with high num- bers of first instars in your horse’s mouth.


on his legs, the eggs become dis- lodged and some start to hatch. The eggs and larvae end up in your horse’s mouth. Remaining eggs hatch and the collective lar- vae live in the mouth for about three weeks – burrowed in the soft tissue of the gums, tongue and lips. This is called the first instar stage of the life cycle. At the end of the instar stage the larvae molt (the second instar stage) and are swallowed. The bot fly larvae attach to the lining of the stomach and


and wash the legs. The warm moisture makes the eggs hatch very quickly. Use fly spray immediately after washing the legs to kill the larvae. The first instars do not live long if they don’t reach a supporting envi- ronment (your horse’s mouth). Use disposable gloves when removing bot eggs and wash your hands afterward. Humans have been infect- ed with horse bots in rare cases. A warm moist environment causes the eggs to hatch and the larvae can migrate into the human skin. Do not rub your eyes. There have been cases of ocular myiasis (invasion of the eye by a parasitic larvae) due to bot eggs.


Most veterinarians agree bot infestation can result in poor health, failure to utilize nutrients from feed, colic, loss of appetite, ulcers and abnormal bowel movements. Rupture of the stomach and blockages of intes- tine can occur in severe cases. But regardless what researchers disagree or agree about – I don’t want them on or in my horse!


The first step in eradicat- ing bots is to eliminate manure piles. Breaking up piles to expose them to the sun may help kill larvae. Removing that unsightly manure pile on a regu- lar basis may also help break the


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When removing the eggs don’t do it where you’ll contam- inate grass, hay or the area where you horse may eat. Controlling bot larvae


The anthelmintic (a drug that expels parsites) called iver- mectin is the most common chemical used to kill bots living within the equine digestive sys- tem. Ivermectin is available in many over-the-counter horse deworming products. Even though bots are not “worms”, dewormers that contain iver- mectin will kill bots in the stom- ach and small intestine.


Boticides are recommend- ed to be given after the first hard-killing frost (the adult bot


once they’re in your horse requires chemicals. Luckily, products are available that work quite well and are reasonably safe if used according to the directions.


flies are killed) and again in the spring to remove any bots that may still be present in the stom- ach or large intestine. Horses that live in warm climates may be exposed to bot flies year around and may need more fre- quent treatments. Consult your local veterinarian.


control bots. If you use one of these products, be sure to administer a boticide twice a year.


Daily dewomers do not


One note about mox- idectin – this chemical is a boti- cide. But there is some contro- versy about the safety of the chemical. It should not be used on foals under the age of four months, weak horses or horses carrying a heavy parasite load. Use extreme caution, read the label and consult your veterinar- ian.


* For information about caring for horses take the online cours- es “Stable Management” and “Nutrition for Maximum Perfor- mance” taught by Eleanor Blaz- er. Earn certification or work toward a Bachelor of Science degree in equine studies. Go to www.horsecoursesonline.com for more information. Visit Eleanor’s web site at www.the- wayofhorses.com


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