About Spalding Labs
HOW WE STUMBLED UPON FLY PREDATORS®
Our family began selling Fly Predators® in 1976. What started as a research project turned into a discovery that has helped animal owners for almost 50 years!
How it Started
IT BEGAN WITH AN AWFUL FLY PROBLEM
The year was 1976 and there was a growing awareness of the dangers of pesticide use to both people and the environment. The Spalding's were having an awful problem with flies around their Arabian horses and wanted to find a solution that would be safe for their horses, themselves, and the environment.
At the time, researchers were exploring non-chemical methods of fly control and fly parasites were emerging as a promising form of biological control. The Spalding's obtained a culture of the fly parasites from a researcher and began raising and releasing these little "bugs" on their farm. Within a few months of beginning their regular releases, their fly problem all but disappeared! That was their eureka moment that they were really onto something with this method.
CREATING SPALDING LABS
HOW OUR BUGS BECAME A BUSINESS
The Spalding's could not find any business offering these fly parasites commercially, so they decided to start their own business as a way to offer this non-toxic fly control method to other horse owners as well! That was the beginning of Spalding Labs and Fly Predators. It was the proverbial kitchen table-top business. They placed small ads in a few horse magazines and shipped Fly Predators in a paper bag. At first, many horse owners thought the idea of using one insect to get rid of another as bizarre! However, as more people tried the product and found success, they were soon convinced this method worked!
How it Spread!
WORD GOT OUT ABOUT FLY PREDATOR SUCCESS
The Fly Predators worked great and the word slowly got around about these amazing little insects. Customers kept ordering more shipments after trying the first batch and their friends started asking “Where did your flies go?” After which, their friends would place an order too.
Now, after 45+ years in business, Fly Predators have become the preferred method of fly control for all types of animal owners and others with an abundance of rotting organic matter that breeds flies. They have served hundreds of thousands of customers and the majority of them use Fly Predators for as long as they have their animals.
"Such a huge difference now than before Fly Predators. We use to have the barns sprayed. It never lasted. So nice to walk in our barns and not have to constantly swat at flies!"
Trevor, Ohio
