Farmers and ranchers are not strangers to battling flies. The hot, humid months of summer promise to bring winged pests that can aggravate and even injure livestock. Having a good pest management system in place and controlling the flies is critical to the summer well-being of farm animals. Reducing the number of blood feeding flies can keep performance levels high, lead to better weight gain in growing animals, and healthier performance in calves. Eldon Cole, Livestock Specialist at the University of Missouri Extension, advises to “watch for fly problems on newborns.” Treating fly infestations on newborns right away ensures better performance down the road.
Horn flies are one of the more common blood feeding pests; they are the small flies that are present on the back, sides and underbelly of animals. If you notice large amounts of these flies, it is time to take action. “Normally, growing cattle gain an extra 1.5 pounds per week when horn flies are controlled below the 200 flies per animal threshold,” said Dr. Justin Talley, the Extension Livestock Entomologist at Oklahoma State University. Horn flies are not the only troublesome pests on a farm or ranch – stable flies, face flies and ticks can all lead to stressed animals, and can carry pathogens like pinkeye. Luckily for the farmer, there are means of controlling these pests.
Cattle Rubs: Also referred to as a ‘back rubber’ or ‘fly wipe,’ a cattle rub is one of the most effective ways to control horn fly populations on cattle. A cattle rub is a long, sausage shaped roll of material that is soaked with a fly repellent solution and hung in a pasture at a level that cattle can rub on it, transferring the repellent solution to their skin. Cattle naturally seek places to scratch, making the rub very effective at controlling flies. Dr. Talley suggests implementing a “forced use system” with cattle rubs – this means placing the rub somewhere that each animal goes underneath it every day. Putting the rub near water access can achieve this.
Insecticide Treated Ear Tags: Ear tags that have been treated with an insecticide are a good option for controlling both horn flies and face flies. These tags can be placed in one or both ears on cattle. While this is a fairly low maintenance option for fly control, the treated ear tags do need to be replaced periodically when the insecticide wears off. Certain treated ear tags can also be used on sheep.
Sprays, Drenches and Powders: Livestock can also be treated for flies using a variety of sprays, drenches and powders. Horses, for example, can be treated with a spray containing pyrethroids, or even natural essential oils such as citronella and eucalyptus. Ivermectin is often used as an effective pour-on drench in cattle; cattle can also be sprayed with the farmer’s choice of fly spray using a hand sprayer, or a sprayer that attaches to an ATV. Insecticide powders can be a good option as well – many powders are safe to use on cattle, horses and swine.
VetGun: The VetGun paintball system from SmartVet is a new and innovative way to make treating flies as low stress for livestock as possible. The VetGun system uses a modified paintball gun with a CO2 cartridge that fires a small, soft gel capsule called a VetCap. The VetCap is filled with liquid parasiticides. When a VetCap is fired from the VetGun, the capsule bursts upon hitting the animal, coating them with the solution. This system is designed for minimal fear or discomfort to the animal. When a positive reinforcement (like range cubes or grain) is provided during the application process, animals learn to associate being hit by a capsule with good things. VetGuns and VetCaps can be used with beef cattle, dairy cows and even bison with great success.
With a little research, and some preventative methods, you can keep your animals protected from flies all year long.
