6 Best Propane Powered Foggers For Controlling Flies Around Horses Ranchers Use
Ranchers rely on propane foggers for effective fly control. We review the 6 best models for protecting horses with powerful, wide-area pest management.
Nothing ruins a peaceful evening at the barn like the relentless buzz and bite of horse flies. You can see your horses stomping, swishing their tails, and getting agitated, and you know the fly sprays just aren’t cutting it for the whole property. A propane fogger offers a way to reclaim your space, creating a temporary zone of relief across a much larger area than a simple spray bottle ever could.
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Why Propane Foggers Work for Horse Fly Control
A propane fogger isn’t just a fancy sprayer; it’s a tool that fundamentally changes how you apply insecticide. The device uses heat from a propane flame to vaporize a specially formulated, oil-based insecticide. This creates a dense, thick cloud of microscopic particles that hangs in the air, drifting with the slightest breeze.
This "fog" is the key to its effectiveness. Unlike a liquid spray that falls quickly to the ground, the fog penetrates dense brush, gets under leaves, and drifts into the eaves of your barn where flies rest. It creates a large, three-dimensional kill zone, knocking down adult flies on contact. This method is exceptionally good for treating large, semi-open areas like paddocks, pastures, and the perimeter around your barn just before you bring the horses in for the evening.
Think of it as area denial for insects. You’re not treating the horse; you’re treating the air the horse is in. It’s a fast-acting solution for immediate relief, especially useful before a ride or when you need to work in the barn without being swarmed. The effect is temporary, but for clearing a space quickly, it’s hard to beat.
Burgess 1443 Propane Fogger: A Ranch Staple
The Burgess 1443 is one of those tools you see in the back of a lot of farm trucks for a reason. It’s built on a simple, proven design that just works. There are no complex electronics or delicate parts to break, which is exactly what you want in a tool that’s going to get dusty and knocked around the barn.
Its main strength is reliability and ease of use. You screw in a standard propane cylinder, fill the insecticide reservoir, and after a short pre-heating period, you’re ready to go. The trigger lock is a particularly useful feature, allowing you to maintain a consistent fog without holding the trigger down, which saves your hand during larger jobs. It produces a thick, dry fog that effectively covers a substantial area without leaving a heavy, wet residue on surfaces.
This fogger is the perfect workhorse for a small to medium-sized hobby farm. It’s not the most powerful unit on the market, but it’s more than enough to treat a few acres, a riding arena, or the barn area. For most ranchers looking for their first fogger, this is a safe and effective bet.
Black Flag 190107 Fogger for Fast Knockdown
When you need to clear an area right now, the Black Flag fogger is a go-to choice. It’s known for its ability to produce a massive volume of fog very quickly. If you have guests coming over for a barbecue near the paddock or you need to clear the riding ring ten minutes before a lesson, this tool delivers that immediate, powerful knockdown.
The design is lightweight and ergonomic, making it easy to carry around the property without much fatigue. It heats up fast and the trigger mechanism is responsive, giving you precise control over fog output. This unit is all about speed and impact, pushing out insecticide to quickly saturate an area and kill active flies and mosquitoes on contact.
The tradeoff for this speed is often insecticide consumption. Because it puts out such a high volume, you might go through your fogging solution a bit faster than with other models. However, for those situations where immediate results are the top priority, the Black Flag fogger is an incredibly effective tool for reclaiming your outdoor space from biting insects.
Cutter Propane Fogger: Reliable Barn Coverage
The Cutter Propane Fogger excels in creating a dense, lingering fog, making it particularly well-suited for treating structures like barns, run-in sheds, and storage buildings. Flies don’t just bother horses in the pasture; they rest on rafters, in corners, and on walls inside, and this fogger is great at reaching those hiding spots.
Its fogging action is consistent and produces fine particles that hang in the air, ensuring deep penetration into cracks and crevices. Before turning horses out for the day, you can fog the barn to significantly reduce the number of flies waiting inside. This proactive treatment can make a huge difference in the comfort of your animals when they come back in.
While it works perfectly well in open areas, its real advantage is in semi-enclosed spaces. The ability to fill a barn with a thick cloud of insecticide ensures you’re not just repelling flies but actively reducing the resident population. Remember to always remove animals from the barn before fogging and allow for proper ventilation before they return.
Bonide 420 Fog-Rx Propane Insect Fogger
The Bonide Fog-Rx is a solid, all-around performer that offers a good balance of power, durability, and versatility. It’s built with a sturdy metal barrel and a reliable ignition system, giving it a feel of longevity. This isn’t a flimsy, single-season tool; it’s designed to handle regular use around the farm.
One of its key advantages is its compatibility with a wide range of insecticides, both from Bonide and other manufacturers. This gives you the flexibility to choose a formula that best suits your specific needs, whether you’re targeting stable flies, mosquitoes, or gnats. It allows you to adapt your pest control strategy without needing to buy new equipment.
This fogger is a great choice for the hobby farmer who deals with more than just horse flies. If you also need to treat your yard for mosquitoes before an event or manage pests in a large garden area, the Bonide provides that multi-purpose capability. It’s a dependable tool that doesn’t lock you into a single brand of chemical.
Burgess 960 Thermo-Fogger for Large Areas
For ranchers with more ground to cover, the Burgess 960 Thermo-Fogger is a step up in power and capacity. This model is designed for larger properties, featuring a bigger insecticide reservoir and a higher output rate. It can treat a half-acre in just a few minutes, making it highly efficient for fogging multiple pastures, fence lines, or wooded perimeters.
The key difference is scale. While a smaller fogger is perfect for a five-acre hobby farm, it can feel slow and tedious on a 20-acre property. The Burgess 960 bridges that gap, providing near-commercial performance in a consumer-friendly package. Its robust construction is meant to handle the demands of treating larger areas more frequently.
This is not the fogger for someone with two horses in a small paddock. It’s for the serious hobby rancher or small-scale farmer who needs to manage pests over a significant area. The investment in a larger unit like this pays off in time saved, which is often the most valuable resource on any farm.
Hudson 99598 Fog-N-More Propane Fogger
The Hudson Fog-N-More lives up to its name by offering more than just one function, a feature that is incredibly valuable on a hobby farm where every tool needs to earn its keep. This unit operates as a standard propane fogger, but it can also be used as a targeted sprayer without the heating element engaged. This dual-functionality is its standout feature.
As a fogger, it performs reliably, creating a consistent cloud for area-wide pest control. But with a simple adjustment, it becomes a sprayer for applying herbicides to a fence line or a liquid insecticide directly onto a wasp nest. This versatility means one less piece of equipment to buy, store, and maintain.
For the hobby farmer who values efficiency and multi-purpose tools, the Hudson is an excellent choice. It consolidates two common farm tasks into a single, easy-to-use device. It’s a practical solution for someone who needs to fog the pasture in the evening and then spot-treat weeds the next morning.
Choosing the Right Insecticide for Your Fogger
Owning a fogger is only half the battle; choosing the right insecticide is what determines your success and ensures the safety of your animals. Always read the label. This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a requirement for safe and effective use. The label will tell you if the product is approved for fogging and if it’s safe for use in areas with livestock.
You’ll generally find two main types of active ingredients:
- Pyrethrins/Pyrethroids: These are the most common. Pyrethrins are derived from chrysanthemum flowers and offer a fast knockdown but break down quickly in sunlight. Pyrethroids (like Permethrin and Resmethrin) are synthetic versions that last longer, providing a bit of residual effect.
- Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO): This is not an insecticide itself but a synergist. You’ll often see it mixed with pyrethroids because it prevents the insect’s body from breaking down the insecticide, making the chemical far more effective.
When fogging around horses, the primary goal is immediate knockdown of adult flies in the air and on vegetation. A product with a high concentration of pyrethrins is excellent for this. Ensure you move horses out of the direct area being fogged and follow the label’s instructions for how long to wait before allowing them to return. The right chemical, used correctly, makes all the difference.
Ultimately, a propane fogger is a powerful tool for managing the fly population on your property, providing immediate relief that sprays and traps can’t match. By choosing a model that fits the scale of your ranch and pairing it with the correct insecticide, you can create a more comfortable environment for both you and your horses. It’s about taking control of your space, one fog-filled evening at a time.
