Flies

[Texas Gal]

We've had some rain in the last few days ( Thank you, Lord). Now the flies have gone from practically zero to a gazillion. We were checking some pairs in the east pasture yesterday evening. They had probably 250-300 flies per cow! I had checked them about mid-week and found just a few flies on them. It was terrible. I drove back to the barn, mixed up fly spray and sprayed them all down. I honestly don't remember having flies that bad in the past.

 

[slick4591]

Same over here. I have one pasture where the heifers don't give a rat's butt about getting sprayed, and the adults in the other think it's a death ray so I can't get near them with it. Guess I'm going to have to get those penned up just to spray them.

 

[elkwc]

They have been bad here for 75 days or more. The sprays I’ve been using last about 2 weeks unless it rains.Most of our cows have got to where I can spray them while they eat. Only a couple ran off this weekend. The calves are harder to get.

 

[bird dog]

Everybody that I know in this area has the same problem this year. Now with the rain, can't do anything until it stops.

 

[kenny thomas]

When will the love bugs start?

 

[TCRanch]

Add me to the same situation. I just sprayed 10 days ago and they're covered already. We've had spotty rain & most of them are at the lake so spraying again is pointless right now.

 

[greybeard]

When will the love bugs start?

Please.... I'm still trying to forget last years horde...

 

[kenny thomas]

When will the love bugs start?

Please.... I'm still trying to forget last years horde...

Yep , and last years horde came after the hurricane rains. Some places got that much rain today

 

[1982vett]

They have been bad here for 75 days or more. The sprays I’ve been using last about 2 weeks unless it rains.Most of our cows have got to where I can spray them while they eat. Only a couple ran off this weekend. The calves are harder to get.

Would gladly spray every to weeks if it would just rain to wash it off.....

When will the love bugs start?

Been here since May.

 

[76 Bar]

Agree C&D...Cylence is vastly over rated for fly as well as lice control.

 

[76 Bar]

Whoops...make that D&C.

 

[elkwc]

I usually use Ultra Boss and have pretty good luck with the flies...so I thought I'd change it up a little and got some Cyclence...not been very happy with its performance at all. Actually, I think I saw the flies on a cows back drinking the stuff to get drunk LOL! I hate flies!

Tim

I was rotating between Ultra Boss and Ultra Saber. Now I’m buying concentrated sprays with their active ingredients and mixing with mineral oil. So far has worked well and a lot cheaper. Less than $50.00 to spray 190 had including calves. I try to rotate at least every 3rd time I spray. When using the premixed sprays it costs over $150.00 depending on what I used.

 

[NEFarmwife]

We've been using Permectrin for fly control. They've been bad this year. Literal swarms as cattle graze. While the Permectrin hasn't resolved the issue, it has helped a lot.

When we purchased that, we also purchased a little sprayer to hook into our side by side. So, we just mix the concentrate and spray as we cube them. We have to re-apply every two weeks but they like to bathe in the dams and we've had a lot of blessed rain.

 

[boondocks]

I usually use Ultra Boss and have pretty good luck with the flies...so I thought I'd change it up a little and got some Cyclence...not been very happy with its performance at all. Actually, I think I saw the flies on a cows back drinking the stuff to get drunk LOL! I hate flies!

Tim

I was rotating between Ultra Boss and Ultra Saber. Now I’m buying concentrated sprays with their active ingredients and mixing with mineral oil. So far has worked well and a lot cheaper. Less than $50.00 to spray 190 had including calves. I try to rotate at least every 3rd time I spray. When using the premixed sprays it costs over $150.00 depending on what I used.

Having tried both. we use diesel instead of mineral oil. Cheaper, lasts longer, works better. Downside: cows can smell it more and try to get away.

 

[elkwc]

I usually use Ultra Boss and have pretty good luck with the flies...so I thought I'd change it up a little and got some Cyclence...not been very happy with its performance at all. Actually, I think I saw the flies on a cows back drinking the stuff to get drunk LOL! I hate flies!

Tim

I was rotating between Ultra Boss and Ultra Saber. Now I’m buying concentrated sprays with their active ingredients and mixing with mineral oil. So far has worked well and a lot cheaper. Less than $50.00 to spray 190 had including calves. I try to rotate at least every 3rd time I spray. When using the premixed sprays it costs over $150.00 depending on what I used.

Having tried both. we use diesel instead of mineral oil. Cheaper, lasts longer, works better. Downside: cows can smell it more and try to get away.

What kind of time frame are you getting between sprays using diesel. We don't use it because of the smell and it leaves spots on anything it contacts. And if you aren't careful you smell like diesel also. We get 2-3 weeks of good control between sprays. It depends on how much rain we get during that period. Around here haven't heard of any better from those using diesel. So curious what time frame you are seeing.

 

[slick4591]

I've asked this question before but can't find the answer after searching. It seems I can't get but a couple uses from a sprayer after using diesel. What sprayer will hold up to diesel?

 

[sstterry]

I've asked this question before but can't find the answer after searching. It seems I can't get but a couple uses from a sprayer after using diesel. What sprayer will hold up to diesel?

I have been using just a normal cheap plastic one for the past year and it still works fine. It does leak on my hands some, but like I said it is a cheap one.

 

[slick4591]

I've asked this question before but can't find the answer after searching. It seems I can't get but a couple uses from a sprayer after using diesel. What sprayer will hold up to diesel?

I have been using just a normal cheap plastic one for the past year and it still works fine. It does leak on my hands some, but like I said it is a cheap one.

Can't get more than a couple uses out of the ones I'm buying. They get to where they won't hold any pressure.

 

[sstterry]

I've asked this question before but can't find the answer after searching. It seems I can't get but a couple uses from a sprayer after using diesel. What sprayer will hold up to diesel?

I have been using just a normal cheap plastic one for the past year and it still works fine. It does leak on my hands some, but like I said it is a cheap one.

Can't get more than a couple uses out of the ones I'm buying. They get to where they won't hold any pressure.

I have found that before every use that I have to make sure all the seals are tight because they do loosen due to the diesel.

 

[bird dog]

You can get a solvent resistant sprayer but they are expensive and get just as nasty. I use the cheap ones from TSC or Atwoods. The Atwoods ones seem to be a little better. Back the pressure off when finished sometimes helps.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Swissmex-2- ... /206078268