Flies... the never ending battle

[danl]

I sprayed with Permethrin today to knock them back.

The bags of loose mineral with the fly stuff in them are $40 a bag.

There are tubs that come with the fly stuff in them that are around $10-15 more ($90) than ther regular ones, if you use those. I put one out at one place to see how they work.

$40.00 per bag + $15.00 more for fly stuff???

I just bought 2 bags yesterday WITH fly control for 15.95 each. Perhaps you need to check with another supplier.

That's what I was thinking, localy Cargill Right Now Gold (I think) with CTC and Raban is $19.00 a 50 pound bag.
I also started using that new stuff Ultra Sabre and I don't know if its a coincidence or not but after about ten days my cows don't have over 5 or 6 flies on them.

I probably will go home to night and won't be able to see the cows for the flies since I said that.

 

[TexasBred]

Dani, that $19.50 is a darn good buy. Plan 12-12-12 mineral cost more than that around here. Looks like you're doing a good job. Rabon or IGR in the mineral to hold down reproduction and a good dose of fly spray to hill as many adult flies as possible. Sounds like a man on a mission. :clap:

 

[danl]

What I failed to mention is that all the flies are at my house. I have never had them so bad. I put one of those sticky strips in the garage and within a couple hours had over 75 flies stuck to it.

I have sprayed in and around the garage with permithron and something else new, can't remember what it is and I think it is a fly fertilizer..

 

[TexasBred]

What I failed to mention is that all the flies are at my house. I have never had them so bad. I put one of those sticky strips in the garage and within a couple hours had over 75 flies stuck to it.

I have sprayed in and around the garage with permithron and something else new, can't remember what it is and I think it is a fly fertilizer..

hahaha...know what you mean. If they're not around the house then they'e usually in the truck. Glad your fighting them anyway. I get tickled at folks that actually buy "fly attractants" and then hang them on the back porch and fuss about having flys. Sounds like the attractants are working. :lol:

 

[spinandslide]

I've had excellent fly controll so far on Herefords (tend to have flies on white eyes) with these rubs hung across a lane to the waterer. Just mix a couple ounces permethrin (sp?) in a gallon of diesel fuel, poor it across the rub and it gives excellent fly control. I added the "flyps" which hang down and get their face as they pass under. Simple external control. More consistent than ocassional manual spraying of animals which can tend to breed resistant flies. Key to success with the rub is placement in a location that cattle will pass through at least once or twice a day. I hate seeing cattle with flies all over. They also said to spend more time grazing and growing when flies are controlled. Less likely to get pinkeye etc.

http://www.phwhite.com/

I'll try to add a photo from last summer but have not been successful at adding photos on this site yet.

pinkeye is something Ive been warned about and I am very nervous about it now. I showed my husband the rubs and he is very much for getting one..with the little flyps. Im thinking of putting it at the entrance to the back area where her water is..to increase the motivation, may start feeding her over there as well. And am going to get her a Rabon block! Death to flys! :cowboy:

 

[Brute 23]

A bag of the regular loose mineral costs $20 here, but I will shop around a little. Have had good luck with spraying but its just a pain to spray all the time.

SRBeef:
How often to you have to re-soak it?

 

[SRBeef]

SRBeef:
How often to you have to re-soak it?

I resoak it with the diesel/permethrin mixure out of a plastic gas can about once a month. If there is a lot of rain maybe every three weeks or so. The first time it took about 2 gallons on the 15 ft version (I coupled a 10 ft and 5 ft together in a 16 ft gate opening across the waterer pad entrance) to get it saturated initially. After that about one gallon each time seems to be about right.

By pouring it on the cloth rub you are not getting permethrin airborne in a spray. I tried the spray on approach and did not like that at all - too much insecticide floating around.

I bought mine at the local feed/hardware store. I would definitely use the optional tie-on dangly things pictured above about every 6" to get the eye flies that cause or spread pink eye.

 

[gabby]

If you use fly blocks or fly minerals, you can kiss your dung beetles goodbye. They won't totally control flies anyway. I quit using fly minerals 2 years ago and my little turd eaters are still missing and their food source just lays there forever. I use back rubs and spray now. Spraying is best in my book but it takes more time.

 

[TexasBred]

If you use fly blocks or fly minerals, you can kiss your dung beetles goodbye. They won't totally control flies anyway. I quit using fly minerals 2 years ago and my little turd eaters are still missing and their food source just lays there forever. I use back rubs and spray now. Spraying is best in my book but it takes more time.

Absolutely false...neither IGR or Rabon is harmful to dung beetles. You may not have dung beetles but it has nothing to do with fly control minerals or blocks.

 

[SRBeef]

I'm not a real fan of fly-control lick blocks or any insecticide taken internally by the animal I am going to barbeque this summer. Even pour ons have a withdrawal period before slaughter but they are a one-time application. Licks with insecticide are constant low-level internal insecticides. The rubs above also seem to work better than the internals I've seen used. jmho.

 

[TexasBred]

I'm not a real fan of fly-control lick blocks or any insecticide taken internally by the animal I am going to barbeque this summer. Even pour ons have a withdrawal period before slaughter but they are a one-time application. Licks with insecticide are constant low-level internal insecticides. The rubs above also seem to work better than the internals I've seen used. jmho.

Now this is a new one on me. I'd recommend you look up IGR or Altosid and Rabon and see how this products are utilized for fly control.

 

[rk]

I'm not a real fan of fly-control lick blocks or any insecticide taken internally by the animal I am going to barbeque this summer. Even pour ons have a withdrawal period before slaughter but they are a one-time application. Licks with insecticide are constant low-level internal insecticides. The rubs above also seem to work better than the internals I've seen used. jmho.

Now this is a new one on me. I'd recommend you look up IGR or Altosid and Rabon and see how this products are utilized for fly control.

Don't know about Rabon, but Altosid is a "feed-through", which means it has no action internally, but is fed so it can end up in the patty, where it arrests development of the horn fly larva. Research has shown it to be safer than salt, caffeine, and salicylic acid, to name a few.

 

[SRBeef]

For an animal with face and body flies all over, the control of flies in new manure droppings does not to seem to be very effective. Maybe after a long term it might have an effect. However there is much manure already in many pastures and those products don't have much immediate effect. I have put animals in a new pasture with little or no manure and they still had body and face flies.

I am not very familiar with these products and perhaps should not comment on their toxicity. I am familiar with summer flies on my animals and the rubs work almost immediately if they are placed where animals pass through regularly. Thank you for your reply.

 

[TexasBred]

For an animal with face and body flies all over, the control of flies in new manure droppings does not to seem to be very effective. Maybe after a long term it might have an effect. However there is much manure already in many pastures and those products don't have much immediate effect. I have put animals in a new pasture with little or no manure and they still had body and face flies.

I am not very familiar with these products and perhaps should not comment on their toxicity. I am familiar with summer flies on my animals and the rubs work almost immediately if they are placed where animals pass through regularly. Thank you for your reply.

SR, true the effect is not immediate. Manufacturers of these products recommend they be put to use long before the real fly season arrives. Regardless, as long as flies can fly you'll never get 100% control from any product. Helps if the neighbors will get involved with the program as well.

 

[gabby]

If you use fly blocks or fly minerals, you can kiss your dung beetles goodbye. They won't totally control flies anyway. I quit using fly minerals 2 years ago and my little turd eaters are still missing and their food source just lays there forever. I use back rubs and spray now. Spraying is best in my book but it takes more time.

Absolutely false...neither IGR or Rabon is harmful to dung beetles. You may not have dung beetles but it has nothing to do with fly control minerals or blocks.

I had plenty of dung beetles before I used fly minerals. Nothing else changed.

 

[jzintgraff]

What kind of fly products can you use for cattle when you also have horses in the same pasture?? :banana:

 

[gabby]

What kind of fly products can you use for cattle when you also have horses in the same pasture?? :banana:

Get ready to get flamed because you have horses... :cowboy:

 

[jzintgraff]

What kind of fly products can you use for cattle when you also have horses in the same pasture?? :banana:

Get ready to get flamed because you have horses... :cowboy:

What the heck does that mean?? Get ready to be flamed?? Don't you have horses? :wave:

 

[TheBullLady]

I run my herd through the pens every four days and COVER them in spray.. I hate flies, and I don't think people realize how much weight your cattle will lose fighting them.

I alternate between a Pyrithrene based product and Elector, which I really like. Both can be used on rubs, or mixed in a spray. I use a TSC garden sprayer (the metal one.. don't use the plastic, it's a piece of CRAP) which works great. Don't forget to get the belly and legs. Nothing more satisfying then driving past the pasture and seeing cows resting comfortably without constantly swatting at flies.

 

[spinandslide]

What kind of fly products can you use for cattle when you also have horses in the same pasture?? :banana:

The Rabon flyblock I bought my heifer on its wrapping said it was also for use in horses.