Fly Control: Summer Strategies
A WORD FROM THE VETS...
Summer days provide the perfect environment for a rapid increase in fly populations. When flies are abundant, cattle become irritated and stressed. Extra energy is expended in an effort to fight off flies, and less time is spent in normal grazing or resting patterns. While we may never get a true measure of the economic loss created by flies, it seems logical that calves running from flies are not gaining weight.
A combination of fly control efforts provides the greatest benefit to your herd.
Pre-Pasture Prevention:
Pour-on insecticides are most effective when applied every 2-4 weeks.
Ivermectin pour-on treatment provides up to 28 days of horn fly control, in addition to internal and broader external parasite control.
Fly tags are an economical aid in the control of face and horn flies for up to 5 months.
In-Pasture Treatment:
Cattle rubs charged with insecticide or dust bags allow cattle to self-treat frequently.
Bull Master II with Fly Killer Kover has a built-in insecticide reservoir that continuously saturates the feeder's felt cover, applying insecticide each time mineral is consumed.
Sprayer units or Mist Spray systems suit a variety of application demands.
Vet Gun System allows quick and easy insecticide application in the pasture. Simply aim, shoot and treat.
As always, if you have questions about the health of your herd, we will do our best to help you find answers that make sense.
Arnold Nagely, DVM • Ray Shultz, DVM
Featured Products
Bull Master II with Fly Killer Kover
VetGun Insecticide Delivery System