Flies

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Alan

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Boy are the flies bad this year! I would like to know if anyone knows of a product I can buy to mix with water and put in a garden sprayer to spray my cattle with? I have a rub, but it doesn't seem to be doing much and I don't want to use ear tags. But as I said, this seems to be a bad year, we had a very early spring and flies and bees are all over. I can get hands on my herd (18 head) so I thought if I could find something to put in a 2 gallon spray bottle and go after the flies while the cattle are eating hay. I might ease thier discomfort a bit. I have heard Sevin works but do not know the ratio and a little reluctant to try it without more input. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Alan
 
Hi Alan,
The best, most long acting stuff we've found is Durasect. It's a pour-on. We usually treat them twice during the summer, then once every 3-4 weeks or so we hit their faces. Our cows are quite tame so my husband just sits in their feeder and swabs them with a paint brush while they're eating. I agree that the flies seem especially bad this summer. Does anyone use Rabon? Does this stuff really make a dent in the fly population? We had used a permethrine spray on, but it only seemed to last a day or so and I hated having to handle chemicals that frequently.
 
Co-Ral makes a spray that you can use in a Hudson sprayer like you want to. It comes as a liquid that you dilute with water. Should be available in any feed store. You will probably need to pen your cows in order to spray them. Mine are tame, but they won't stand still out in the pasture to be sprayed. Once you spray their backs, the flies will move around to their bellies, so be sure to spray them all over. Works for two or three weeks, depending on the weather. Just curious, why don't you like the eat tags? They work great for me. I haven't needed to spray for two years now.
 
Rabon does work very well... problem is you really need to start using it at the beginning of the fly season. If you can make ANY dent in the population it's a good thing.

Fly tags are great, and will especially help the horn flies from attacking the eyes. (Pink eye) You should replace them every three weeks, and use a different active ingredient when you swap tags.

We use a premeterin (sp) spray in a 2 gallon sprayer like you're talking that works good .. for awhile anyway. We also spray at the feeders.. if you've ever tried spraying Brahman cattle.. you'd better have them penned. They hate spray.
 
I use Cylence, it's a pour on, doesn't take much of it and it works great. I have a cow that gets burns on her skin from the permecthin (sp) products that you mix with diesel fuel.
 
We use Permectrin II spray in a 2 gal pump sprayer. Put cattle in chute and spray. Or, if you can reasonably confine them in small space besure to spray them all over, expecially on belly, back, and legs. Supposed to have kill plus residual for 14 days. Safe for animals and premises. Costs about $20 for a one quart concentrate to mix with water. Don't spray face (except carefully spray poll area); I also wouldn't spray genitals or teats.

Don't use Sevin on livestock. It is also deadly for bees.

We've found that horn flies seem to be especially attracted to our bulls, particularly the black bulls. Not sure why, but it happens.
 
Thanks all for the suggestions! Gave me a great start.
Just curious, why don't you like the eat tags?
I'm sorry to say that I do not have my chute system up yet. I have a sqeeze chute but have to move it and make shift panels to set it up. I'm in the slow process of building a barn that I will incorporate the chute system with. Also, I did not realize that you could replace the ear tags every couple of weeks. Do you really have to do it that often and how does it work, do you pierce the ear once and clip new tags to the post ( or piercing)?

Thanks again,
Alan[/quote]
 
TheBullLady, I must respectfully disagree with you about the effective life of the fly tags. They last considerably longer than 3 weeks. The manufacturer says that they are good for 5 months, but that's probably a bit of a stretch too. My own experience is that they do a pretty good job up to around 4 months. We tag in the spring when we pen everything and they seem to be effective for most all summer.

Guest, the tags are attached with a special tool that you buy where you buy your tags. When you are ready to change out the tag you remove the whole thing using a special knife that cuts the post (also sold where you get your tags). You then apply a new tag and post with your tagging tool. You can reuse the same hole in the ear. Much easier to actually do it than to describe how it's done. It is really very simple and easy to do as long as the cow is secure in a head gate. Also, be aware that different manufactures make their tags slightly differently and you need to use their tagging tool. One tool does not fit all tags. In other words, if you are using Y-Tex tags, you need a Y-Tex tagger. Good luck.[/quote]
 
They Patriot fly tags have worked great for us. We tryed them this year for the 1st time. We put them in around April and they are now starting to loose their effectivness, but 4 mo with outout a fly problem was great.
 
Hawk":yfk26i45 said:
TheBullLady, I must respectfully disagree with you about the effective life of the fly tags. They last considerably longer than 3 weeks. The manufacturer says that they are good for 5 months, but that's probably a bit of a stretch too. My own experience is that they do a pretty good job up to around 4 months. We tag in the spring when we pen everything and they seem to be effective for most all summer.

Guest, the tags are attached with a special tool that you buy where you buy your tags. When you are ready to change out the tag you remove the whole thing using a special knife that cuts the post (also sold where you get your tags). You then apply a new tag and post with your tagging tool. You can reuse the same hole in the ear. Much easier to actually do it than to describe how it's done. It is really very simple and easy to do as long as the cow is secure in a head gate. Also, be aware that different manufactures make their tags slightly differently and you need to use their tagging tool. One tool does not fit all tags. In other words, if you are using Y-Tex tags, you need a Y-Tex tagger. Good luck.
[/quote]

I put the fly tags in in May and they last all summer.
They're even approved for lactating dairy.

I must say though that the absolute best solution that I have found to flies is to have a few ducks and chickens around! The ducks will actively seek out flies to eat and the chickens tear the cow pies apart and eat any maggots that they find. An added benefit with the chickens in that the manure breaks down into the soil much faster after they've worked through it.
Probably not feasible though with a large place.

Ann B
 
Ann Bledsoe":3kmkd7tk said:
Hawk":3kmkd7tk said:
TheBullLady, I must respectfully disagree with you about the effective life of the fly tags. They last considerably longer than 3 weeks. The manufacturer says that they are good for 5 months, but that's probably a bit of a stretch too. My own experience is that they do a pretty good job up to around 4 months. We tag in the spring when we pen everything and they seem to be effective for most all summer.

Guest, the tags are attached with a special tool that you buy where you buy your tags. When you are ready to change out the tag you remove the whole thing using a special knife that cuts the post (also sold where you get your tags). You then apply a new tag and post with your tagging tool. You can reuse the same hole in the ear. Much easier to actually do it than to describe how it's done. It is really very simple and easy to do as long as the cow is secure in a head gate. Also, be aware that different manufactures make their tags slightly differently and you need to use their tagging tool. One tool does not fit all tags. In other words, if you are using Y-Tex tags, you need a Y-Tex tagger. Good luck.

I put the fly tags in in May and they last all summer.
They're even approved for lactating dairy.

I must say though that the absolute best solution that I have found to flies is to have a few ducks and chickens around! The ducks will actively seek out flies to eat and the chickens tear the cow pies apart and eat any maggots that they find. An added benefit with the chickens in that the manure breaks down into the soil much faster after they've worked through it.
Probably not feasible though with a large place.

Ann B[/quote]

That's one of the things that wild turkeys were invented for

dun
 
Usually the best method is a multiple approach, start putting out the fly blocks(rabon) early (in middle april in my area), ear tags (2 for the bulls),and hand spray a couple of times (works best for horse flies). I also put out a fly trap. This works real well to decrese the fly population and aids in control. Of course,being separated from other herds is also a plus. If you have another herd across the fence and your neighbor does not exercise a fly control program,it will help but will not do away with the problem. The fly blocks can be a little pricey as they will eat them like candy(they even smell good enough to eat!) but it is well worth the price.
 

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