Fly season is here for most U.S. ranchers. Horn flies seem to multiply by the minute and before you know it, your cows are covered up in those pesky pests. While you likely won’t ever completely rid your herd of flies, it’s important to manage the population. So what are you doing to reduce the issue in your cowherd?
Here are some popular fly control options:
Using Pour-Ons For Fly Control
Pour-ons are a very common fly control option. Simply pour the product at its recommended dosage down the spine of your cattle. Cattle typically need to be run through a chute to do this effectively.
Upside: This is a direct, concentrated dosage of fly control products making it highly efficient.
Downside: Cattle need to be run through a chute to apply and the product will need to be reapplied regularly for maximum efficiency.
Using Sprays For Fly Control
Many of us have seen (or been) the ranchers driving through their pastures spraying down their cattle with a spray-on fly control. It is also a very common chute-side fly control approach.
Upside: This is a direct, concentrated application directly on to your cattle.
Downside: If you’re “field treating” cattle, it can’t be done on windy days and if cattle cover a large acreage, this can be very time consuming.
Rubs and Dust Bags for Fly Control
These are typically hung in fence openings or a place in your pens where cattle must walk under them. The rubs/bags are filled/drenched with the rancher’s choice of either liquid or powdered fly control.
Upside: Cattle practically take care of applying their own fly control products as they walk under the rubs, therefore reducing your work load.
Downside: The rubs must be regularly loaded/drenched with the fly control product, thus demanding more of your time.
Fly Tags for Fly Control
Simply tag your cattle and turn them out for a fly-free summer? Perhaps. Manufacturers recommend double tagging your cows and single tags for calves.
Upside: These can reduce your work load.
Downside: Unfortunately, cows need multiple tags, you must run cattle through the chute to apply, and the tags can come out of the cow’s ear (as many ear tags sometimes do).
Applicator Guns For Fly Control
This is another direct application method. Simply aim and shoot! The little “bullets” carrying the fly control liquid break on the cow’s skin upon impact, applying the fly control product.
Upside: This method of direct application keeps you from having to handle the cattle.
Downside: The “ammo” tends to be more expensive than pour-on or spray-on applications and can be difficult to apply in large concentrations of cattle.
Feed Through Fly Control
This is a great way to feed your cattle the mineral and/or protein they need in addition to delivering an insect growth regulator (IGR). The IGR works by stopping the fly life cycle at the pupal stage, therefore decreasing the population.
Central Life Sciences says, “Now priced at just 2 to 3 cents per animal, per day, Altosid® IGR can help ranchers protect their operations from profit-eating horn flies with the best value on pasture. Altosid® IGR is a feed-through solution delivering targeted control of horn flies – the number one pest threat on pasture – protecting cattle health and weight gains.”
Nutrition Plus offers loose minerals, mineral tubs and protein tubs with Altosid® IGR added. Your cows are eating their protein and minerals anyway, so why not hit two birds with one stone? IGR can reduce your work load in addition to effectively reducing the fly population on your cows. Plus, it’s a highly cost effective, efficient fly control option.
Are you a current Nutrition Plus customer that doesn’t want to change your mineral? If so, we can mix your current mineral ration with Altosid IGR for an easy summer transition.
Contact one of our team members today to start utilizing a feed through fly control this summer!