Livestock producers need an integrated pest management plan to control the loss of production due to filth flies while cattle graze summer pastures. This may include the movement of livestock, mechanical disruption of grazing areas, mechanical removal of flies and the use of natural and chemical insecticides or repellents.

Fly control in beef cattle continues to be an in-demand topic each year as the potential resistance to conventional fly tags and the introduction of garlic as a feed ingredient to mitigate flies becomes more prevalent. Fly control management is important to minimize the spread of disease and to minimize the negative impacts on livestock production.

In order to have healthy animals, producers must understand the normal health attributes of livestock, routinely monitor their animals and make management changes when necessary.

The best way to treat flies is to first understand what fly you are treating for. Remember: Face flies are found on the face, stable flies are found on front legs, and horn flies are found on the back and sides.

Implementing effective integrated pest management strategies is extremely important for dairy operations, not only for pest control but also for ensuring overall welfare and productivity. 

Discussions of stress are not uncommon in cattle production. A great deal of this discussion is often focused on the stress typical for the weaned/transition calf and its common journey though the U.S. marketing system, which involves a lot of handling and transportation.

Many producers think that when a cow shakes flies off or swats them away with her tail, the issue is over. It isn’t. However, by controlling flies, you can improve cow comfort, lower disease transmission and minimize production losses.