Fly Prevention: Improving Herd Health and Your Bottom Dollar

While livestock producers typically welcome warmer temperatures, the first signs of spring usually come with the emergence of flies. For cattlemen, the battle against flies seems to be never-ending. Three primary types of flies affect cattle, including the horn fly, stable fly, and face fly. While small (and annoying), these flies can actually cause considerable damage to your herd and to your wallet. Fly prevention is key to bettering your herd and bottom dollar.

According to the University of Minnesota, horn flies alone contribute to economic losses of more than 1 billion dollars annually in the United States. These blood-sucking flies pierce cattle hides and cause irritation, blood loss, and decreased weight gain. They also can transmit blood-borne illnesses.

Stable flies also bite cattle and feed on blood. They are commonly found on cattle's legs, causing them to stomp, twitch their tails, and bunch up. These flies also decrease cattle's weight gain.

Another prevalent fly is the face fly. These flies transmit pinkeye and other eye diseases. While they do not bite, they cluster around cattle's eyes, noses, and mouths.

Flies lay their eggs in manure, and the larvae hatch usually within a few days. While their lifecycles are short, the damage they can produce in that amount of time is cause for a good fly control plan.

The Altosid® IGR tub is a low moisture mineral lick tub with an insect growth regulator that is useful in fly prevention. This feed-through fly control product was created by Central Life Sciences, and it disrupts the life cycle of the fly larvae, so the larvae never reach adulthood.

Low moisture tubs are based on molasses, so it's very palatable for cattle. It provides a consistent supply of minerals and Altosid® IGR every day. Tubs are also more weather resistant than other type of lic tubs, a considerable advantage for those of us with variable climates throughout the spring and summer.

Nelson Tubs recommends putting these tubs out for cattle about two to three weeks before the anticipated fly emergence in your area.

Combined with other fly reduction methods, this tub is an excellent option for cattle producers. It will help reduce fly populations to a manageable level.