NATURAL FLY CONTROL
To me, there are few things more frustrating than walking out to the field on a warm summer day, soaking in the picturesque image of a full, lush pasture, just to have the setting spoiled by seeing that the herd in this pasture is covered in a swarm of flies.
Not only is it hard to see your herd visibly frustrated by fly pressure, but also to realize what economic damage this fly pressure is having. This damage is coming directly from the blood being removed from the animal, as well as the energy being burned in fly avoidance, and the disruptions to grazing that flies cause. Compounding the frustration about the effect of flies is that if you are trying to follow organic or natural practices, fly control is more complicated.
Managing manure and bedding piles is a good cultural practice to reduce fly pressure. Keeping bedding fresh, and avoiding pileups of wet, soiled bedding, is going to limit fly breeding grounds (Remember that fly larvae need moisture to survive). Actively turning composting bedding/manure piles will keep them hot enough to kill fly eggs and larvae, and reduce the potential of this being a fly breeding ground.
Managing fresh manure on pasture is a little more difficult. Some farmers may choose to drag the manure, which will help it dry out and make it unsuitable for fly larvae. Other than this, the only other options are a flock of chickens and a robust dung beetle population.
Besides direct manure management, there is the option of feeding diatomaceous earth in the mineral or feed. The DE passes through the animal and is imparted into the manure. Once the fly larvae hatch, the DE in the manure will kill them, as they move throughout the patty. This is why we add DE to our Grazier’s Choice mineral, which is fed free choice to pastured livestock.
Other than addressing fly breeding grounds, most other fly reduction techniques are concentrated on trapping and deterrence.
Deterrence is going to be a constant effort. If you are not using conventional methods, this has traditionally meant using sprays made from essential oils and organically approved pyrethrins. At Fertrell, we offer a product called Fly Aside which is built around these ingredients. These sprays are effective, but will have to be used whenever there is active fly pressure. This can work well for a milking herd that comes into a parlor twice a day, but is difficult or impossible for stock out rotating on pasture.
A new deterrence technique that Fertrell has been interested in is building up sulfur levels in the animal. This sulfur comes through in the blood and other body secretions. Insects are repelled by the taste and smell of the sulfur. This is why we have carried a high-sulfur mineral for the past few years, called Fly Aside Dry. It is a free-choice mineral that could be offered to any stock. It contains sulfur powder, garlic salt, and bentonite clay as a carrier. We really like this mineral as it helps deter flies, but the sulfur in the mineral also helps ruminants capture more protein. This is because a critical part of some important amino acids are composed of sulfur. This sulfur is used by the bacteria in the rumen to convert more free nitrogen to true proteins. This corresponds to lower MUNs and more protein available to the animal. If you have any questions on this, please feel free to contact Fertrell. A Livestock Nutrition Consultant would be happy to help answer your questions.
Fly control is a complex, multifaceted effort. No one method is going to be complete, and flies will always be with us. But considering what the effects of high fly pressure are, the battle is well worth it.