Flies Impacting Livestock, Poultry and Food Safety

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Muscoid flies directly damage livestock and are nuisance pests, especially when in human habitations and urban environments. In spite of their ubiquitous presence, importance as pests, and association with diseases of humans and livestock, our knowledge of the biology of these species is seriously wanting and available control technologies remain inadequate. Successful completion of this project will provide a better understanding of the interactions between livestock production systems and the life cycles of pestiferous flies and will develop new control technologies for muscoid flies.

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APPROACH: We will trap stable flies as probable weather frontal systems are approaching. In addition we will use trapping as a method of improving management tactics for stable flies. In preliminary trials it seemed possible to trap enough stable flies at the water site to reduce the population below the economic threshold of five stable flies per front leg. Stable flies do not breed at the range or pasture site but migrate through the area. Therefore the numbers are lower than they would be at a confined cattle unit where fly breeding is occurring. We will also be evaluating a walk-through self treatment device with upright panels covered with a gel insecticide which transfers to the leg area from the short uprights and to the back and side of the animal from the tall upright. Cattle pass through the device going to and coming from water. Both the trapping and self-treatment device will be evaluated at or near the West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte. The data collected will consist of stable fly numbers at a trapping site which will be compared to a similar site nearby where trapping is not occurring. Date from the self-treatment device will consist of stable fly numbers and horn fly numbers at the treatment location and these will be compared to fl numbers at a similar location nearby. We will evaluate Abamectin ear tags for the control of horn flies and the possible reduction of stable flies on replacement heifers. One hundred replacement heifers will each be tagged with one experimental ear tag during the first week of June. Horn fly counts will be recorded on a weekly basis by counting the total number of horn flies on 15 heifers. Stable fly counts will also be recorded on a weekly basis by counting the total number of stable flies on all four legs of 15 heifers. Fifteen yearling heifers located in a nearby pasture will serve as a control group. Observations will be made weekly to determine if the ear tag is causing any side effects to the animals, such as ear necrosis. At the mid-point in the study the heifers will be weighed and at that time it will be determined if re-tagging is necessary, if horn fly numbers are exceeding the threshold of 200 flies per animal, two ear tags may be applied. The study will end in early September. If funding becomes available, a repellent (Stratacor 15% C8910) applied as a space or area spray will be tested as a management option for house flies and stable flies in a feedlot location. Mineral oil and dust formulations of the repellent will be sprayed on buildings and other fly resting sites to evaluate the efficacy of this product for repelling both fly species. Untreated buildings and other fly resting sites will serve as a control.