5 Best DIY Natural Fly Spray Recipes

Shoo fly don’t bother me! Those pesky bugs irritate and distract our horses and dogs. Not to mention, it hurts when they bite. Depending on where you live you may encounter biting black flies, horse flies, or the evil deer flies.

Natural Fly Spray Recipes

The store bought fly repellents contain chemicals that smell harsh, and get absorbed by your skin. If you are looking for a more natural, DIY solution, look no further. Here are 5 easy to make fly sprays that you can spray on your horse, dog, and yourself without worrying about chemical ingredients. When a fly swatter or tail are not enough, try one of these.

Apple Cider Vinegar Natural Fly Spray

This fly spray combines things you may already have in your pantry. To start you will need an empty spray bottle. *Warning: you will smell like a walking bottle of vinegar, but it works.

• apple cider vinegar
• water
• 10 drops tea tree oil
• 15 drops lavender essential oil
• 20 drops vegetable glycerin

Instructions
Fill the spray bottle 2/3rd full of vinegar. Fill the rest with water, leaving a little room at the top for essential oils. This combination works well for deer flies as well as others. This recipe was posted on Countryfolk Keepsakes.

Natural Fly Spray with Olive Oil & Soap

Unbridled Companion shared this natural recipe. It looks like apple cider vinegar makes the perfect base. Be sure to store the fly spray in a cool dark place because it contains essential oils.

• 4 cups apple cider vinegar
• 15 drops Lavender
• 15 drops Peppermint
• 15 drops Eucalyptus
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (you can use another carrier oil)
• A splash of dish soap (I use Dawn)

Homemade Natural Fly Repellent with Essential Oils

This concoction can be used on farm animals as well. Our Simple Homestead shares this recipe.

• 1 32 oz spray bottle
• 4 cups water
• 1 ml vitamin E oil
• 2 ml glycerin
• 20 ml geranium oil
• 5 ml lemongrass oil
• 6 ml citronella oil
• 5 ml rosemary oil
• 8 ml clove oil
• 5 ml cedar oil
• 1 ml thyme oil

Instructions
Mix all ingredients and shake well before using.

Homemade Fly Spray with Vinegar, Soap, Essential Oils

Little House Living shared this DIY recipe.

• 16 oz Spray Bottle
• 1/4 cup Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Dish Soap
• 30 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Instructions
Fill the remainder of the bottle with water and shake well before applying.

Apple Cider Vinegar Fly Spray

Weed’em and Reap posted this recipe on their blog.

• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 20 drops of doTERRA’s essential oil blend Terrashield

Instructions
Mix all of the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake before use.

How to Keep Flies Away from Horses

Aside from spraying your horse, you can use a fly veil that covers the ears and top of your horse’s head while riding. Of course, there are the fly masks, fly blankets, and fly boots.

Stable Flies Repellent

To reduce flies in the barn, you can use the good old sticky fly strips, or you can buy fresh eucalyptus or rosemary sprigs and hang in the barn. The smell is amazing but flies do not like it. Just be sure to keep them out of reach of your horse’s mouth. With all the options out there, hopefully you can find a natural one for your family.