Horn fly control starts now

Horn flies are one of the most economically devastating cattle pests. They feed on the animals’ blood with ferocious and painful bites and carry diseases such as staph and e-Coli. Hundreds of flies on a cow will affect its health and productivity.

Mark Upton is the director of sales for the feed animal group at Central Life Sciences. He says the best approach is to get ahead of the fly control problem now. So instead of getting swarms of flies on the cows and having to treat it later, prevent it from ever becoming a problem.

"One big reason is, quite frankly it’s cheaper. If you wait until you’ve got a lot of flies on cows you have the labor to get them up, you’ve got expensive chemical costs to try to treat them, and you’ve already got production losses," says Upton. "These flies suck blood off the cow so they’re robbing you of those profits that you’re having to spend to put blood back in the cow. And secondly, it’s just way less stress on you and the cow."

He recommends adding an insect growth regulator called Altosid to a free-choice mineral supplement, mineral tub, or liquid feed. 

"They can put that same product out in front of the cow, it doesn’t taste different, the feeding rate’s not going to change, the cow doesn’t know any different. So, when she goes up and takes her daily dose of mineral, or liquid feed, or whatever it is, she’s getting a dose of Altosid," he says. "All we’re doing is using the cow as a mechanism to get Altosid through the body to the manure, because that’s where the flies lay their eggs, and that’s where we stop this life cycle." 

Remove and properly dispose of fresh manure from barns and stalls to help prevent new populations from developing. 

When the flies start emerging depends on where you’re located. But once you start having 60-degree days, you’ll start seeing horn flies.