Every year about this time, producer attention turns to fly control. Especially in the southern U.S., by the time early spring rolls around, the flies are coming back to the cows with a vengeance, assuming they ever left at all.

Summer is typically a highly anticipated season. School is out, vacations are planned and the long, sunny days are enjoyed. But for cattle producers, there is one summertime occurrence that is not looked forward to – pinkeye within the cattle herd.

If your cattle could talk – or sing – “Shoo fly, don’t bother me” would likely be a common mantra heard throughout the summer season as they annoyingly swat their tails across their backs.

Flies are much more than a nuisance. Their economic impact can reach deep into a cattleman’s pockets.

We have billion-dollar problems in the beef industry. Here are a few of the commonly reported billion-dollar hits we take annually: fescue toxicosis, bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and, surprisingly, flies.

It’s hot outside and that means pesky, profit-robbing flies. And if you haven’t already started on your fly control program for the year, you may be losing more than you bargained for, as flies are known to carry both animal and human diseases.