How long should you continue to treat horses with sweet itch?

A frequently asked question is: “How long should I continue to treat my horse with sweet itch? “. And we understand that you would like to know this, we as people like to have a guideline. Unfortunately, this is not the case with horses. Sweet itch is weather dependent and does not go away overnight. In this blog we will therefore indicate until when you should treat horses with sweet itch.

Keep an eye out for the mosquitoes

Sweet itch is triggered by mosquitoes. It is therefore important to pay close attention to whether there are mosquitoes during twilight. Sometimes you can really see whole swarms above a damp meadow, or the horses are suddenly completely under.

The amount of mosquitoes indicates how much trouble a horse with sweet itch may have. Are there still many mosquitoes? Don’t stop treating just yet!

Watch the temperature

Generally speaking: with temperatures (day and night) below 15 degrees, the sweet itch season is over. If the temperatures remain constantly low, you will notice that the amount of mosquitoes also decreases. Usually this change to colder weather is at the end of September/beginning of October. But in recent years we have noticed that this boundary is increasingly shifting. As a result, the sweet itch season is getting longer and with a bit of bad luck it will even last until December.

Conclusion: it’s about the combination of mosquitoes and temperature

Unfortunately, there is no way to say that the sweet itch season will be over on September 1. The period for sweet itch is very dependent on the temperature and the amount of mosquitoes that are there. Therefore, do not commit to a specific date, but keep a close eye on the weather. We understand that you would like to clear up the eczema blanket and stop giving supplements. We also grant your horse an itch-free period, but continue to treat until the season is really over.

In general, we indicate that the sweet itch season runs from mid-March to the end of September. Sometimes it starts a little later and sometimes the season lasts longer.