If your pastures are like mine and the pastures that I have
seen with cattle then you have witnessed plenty of flies. We usually think that a cold winter will take
care of weeds and insects and the numbers we face should be small in compared
to years with mild winters. This year
seems to be the exception; we have had plenty of weeds and insects.
External parasites cost cattle producers millions of dollars each year in lost revenue due to the constant irritation they cause to beef cattle. Cattle will use a great deal of energy in an attempt to get relief from the constant pestering.Two of the more common problems this time of year are the horn fly and heel fly. Horn flies will take up to 30 blood meals each day causing nervousness, annoyance and weight loss since they interfere with the feeding and resting routine of a cow.
Treatment is said to be justified when populations reach 250 flies per head. Control can be applied as self-treatment insecticides or you can use sprays, pour-ons, dusts, feed additives or boluses.Cattle grubs are the larvae stage of the heel fly which lay eggs on the hairs of the lower legs of cattle in the spring. Grubs appear in the backs of cattle in the winter.
Their migrating damage causes weight loss and reduces milk production.To control grubs, administer systemic insecticides like IVOMEC, EPRINEX, DECTOMAX or CYDECTIN at least 3 months before grubs appear in the back. It is best to use pour-on, spot-on, spray or injection type products to kill the migrating grubs before they reach the esophagus. If used too late, these products can cause reactions in the esophagus if grubs are present.
Face flies can also cause problems for the cattlemen by spreading pinkeye. They can be controlled with the same products you use for horn flies.Most fly control products have no withdrawal time, so be sure to read and follow the label directions. Fly control is important to the health and performance of cattle. Some control methods may seem expensive, but it is a practice that will more than pay for itself.
External parasites cost cattle producers millions of dollars each year in lost revenue due to the constant irritation they cause to beef cattle. Cattle will use a great deal of energy in an attempt to get relief from the constant pestering.Two of the more common problems this time of year are the horn fly and heel fly. Horn flies will take up to 30 blood meals each day causing nervousness, annoyance and weight loss since they interfere with the feeding and resting routine of a cow.
Treatment is said to be justified when populations reach 250 flies per head. Control can be applied as self-treatment insecticides or you can use sprays, pour-ons, dusts, feed additives or boluses.Cattle grubs are the larvae stage of the heel fly which lay eggs on the hairs of the lower legs of cattle in the spring. Grubs appear in the backs of cattle in the winter.
Their migrating damage causes weight loss and reduces milk production.To control grubs, administer systemic insecticides like IVOMEC, EPRINEX, DECTOMAX or CYDECTIN at least 3 months before grubs appear in the back. It is best to use pour-on, spot-on, spray or injection type products to kill the migrating grubs before they reach the esophagus. If used too late, these products can cause reactions in the esophagus if grubs are present.
Face flies can also cause problems for the cattlemen by spreading pinkeye. They can be controlled with the same products you use for horn flies.Most fly control products have no withdrawal time, so be sure to read and follow the label directions. Fly control is important to the health and performance of cattle. Some control methods may seem expensive, but it is a practice that will more than pay for itself.
For more
information please call Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Wise County
at 940-627-3341.
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