Horse Bots
In North America, we are concerned with 3 species on horse bot flies. The most common bot
fly is the Gasterophilus intestinalis. Less common are the throat horse bot and the nose
bot. This article will discuss the most common bot fly which lays up to 1,000 yellowish
eggs on the forelegs of your horse. (The throat bot lays under the chin and the nose bot
lays on the nose and lips - the life cycle matches the common bot fly).
The life cycle of the bot fly
The bot fly lays up to 1,000 yellowish or black eggs on your horse. They can easily be
seen. Most commonly the eggs are laid on the forelegs, but can also be found on your
horse's belly, flanks, and mane
The eggs hatch when your horse licks them. The temperature and moisture from the tongue
triggers the maggots to hatch. The larvae burrow into the linings of your horses mouth
and stay for about four weeks when they move to the intestines. They will remain attached
to the intestine until next summer when they detach and are passed in the feces.
When they reach the ground, the larvae burrow under the surface of the soil and pupate
for up to two months. The adult fly emerges in late summer or early fall to start the
cycle over.
Symptoms of bot fly invasion
If your horse ingests a few fly eggs there will be little damage. But, left untreated,
large numbers of larvae can cause stomach disturbances with symptoms varying from mild to
severe. Your horse may experience nothing more than stomach irritation but could also
develop ulcers, colic or blockage resulting in stomach rupture.
There have been reports of horse bots in humans.
Treatment of bot flies
Control of horse bot flies is concentrated on the larvae in the stomach by using wormers.
Products containing ivermectin or moxidectin control all the larval stages of the bot so
most deworming programs for other types of intestinal parasites will be effective for
horse bot flies.
Many horse owners use a bot knife to remove the eggs from their horse. This is helpful,
but the best control is a good deworming program.
Resources:
You can find inexpensive bot fly knives and wormers at amazon.com
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