Bestoutwest
Well-known member
What's your experience with this? Good, bad, waste of money?
Fly repellent in minerals
- Thread starter Bestoutwest
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slick4591
Well-known member
I tried an IGR mineral last year and felt like it was a waste of money. Flies were as thick as any other year and I went back to permethrin/diesel mix with a sprayer.
A.J.
Well-known member
slick4591":2zr9j2b6 said:
I've heard the minerals have helped some folks, but we didn't see any noticeable difference either. Using a back rubber and sprayer seems to get us the best results.
TN Cattle Man
Well-known member
Well first of all, using a feed-through type product (such as mineral) for fly control is not a "repellent". IGR is an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) that inhibits the life cycle of an insect by eliminating their ability to hatch out eggs that are in the treated manure. The mineral that we use for fly control contains Altosid... which is an IGR. Where most people go wrong using a product like this is not understanding the life-cycle of flies. In order to get and maintain optimum fly control you have to start using this product early... we typically will start around May 1 in our part of the country. The typical life cycle for a fly is approx 30 days. IGR's do not have any residual effect in the cows stomach so if you run out of mineral, even if for just a day, you have the possibility to have another 30 days worth of fly problems. You must keep mineral in front of your cattle at all times! Another thing to consider is that different manufacturers of mineral will have different strength doses of IGR in their mineral. The product that we use is Purina Wind & Rain w/Fly Control (Altosid)... they make it in a "Light", Medium", and "Heavy" formula. If you are not using the Heavy formula, I feel that you are wasting your money. Another thing to consider is that it would be difficult to say that just one product is going to give you the fly control that you are looking for... I believe that if you use a couple different practices in your operation (like rotational grazing, worming, ear-tags, etc.), that is the only way that you will get the results that you are looking for.
Bestoutwest
Well-known member
TN Cattle Man":3qoafiyd said:
Great info! Thanks for the help!
willow bottom
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I use a cheap pour on it's good for about 30 days then i do it all over again
TexasBred
Well-known member
:clap: :clap: Excellent post and "On the Money".TN Cattle Man":1376mylu said:
TN Cattle Man":18rgsjsv said:
Also, if there is a herd next door that is not being treated with the IGR, you can still have flies that come from that herd and hatch in their manure.
TN Cattle Man
Well-known member
The Facts About Flies:
There are more than 120,000 species of flies, typically we only concentrate on the 6 species which represent the vast majority of the problems for humans and animals: house, stable, flesh, blow, blue & green bottle, and dump flies.
Flies have been around as long as mankind and have been found in all seven continents. It has been documented that the fly transmits deadly diseases such as typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, yaws, anthrax, leprosy and tuberculosis just to name a few. In many instances, flies are the indirect cause of low cattle weight and poultry death.
During a fly's lifetime (usually a 30 day cycle), a female fly will lay anywhere from 400-600 eggs. Each fly egg hatches into a small, grub-like, creature (larvae), which looks more like an inchworm than a fly. By eating nutrients from soil, ponds or even in the sea, larvae will grow to adult fly size within a few days.
Some Other Facts About Flies:
Flies have over 4,000 facets for sight in each eye.
Flies are attracted by movement more than color.
Flies have a smelling distance of over 750 yards.
A fly's feeding range is usually limited to two miles.
A single garbage can, if not emptied, can be the breeding ground for 30,000 flies.
During warm weather, a fly can produce a family generation in less than two weeks.
TYPES OF FLIES:
There are several kinds of flies that are common around farms, residential areas and food-handling establishments.
House Fly -
The housefly, Musca domestica, is one of the most common of all insects.It is a worldwide pest in homes, barns, poultry houses, food-processing plants, recreation areas, etc.
House fly eggs are laid in almost any type of warm organic material.Animal or poultry manure is an excellent breeding medium. Decaying vegetation such as grass clippings and garbage can also provide for optimum breeding conditions.
Houseflies are strong fliers and can become widely distributed by flying, wind currents, vehicles and animals. Generally, though, flies are abundant in the immediate vicinity of their breeding site.
Stable Fly -
The stable fly, also known as the dog fly, is a blood-sucking fly. Stable flies primarily attack animals for blood, but in the absence of an animal will also bite humans.
An adult stable fly can fly up to 70 miles from their breeding sites. The stable fly adult is similar to the housefly in size and color. The stable fly, however, has a long bayonet-like mouthpart for sucking blood. Unlike many other fly species, both male and female stable flies suck blood.
Stable fly bites are extremely painful to both man and animal. When hungry, stable flies are quite persistent and will continue to pursue a blood meal even after being swatted several times.
Flesh Flies -
Flesh flies are a scavenger fly species that usually feed on meat scraps and dead animal carcasses.
Female flesh flies retain eggs within their bodies until the eggs are ready to hatch. The larvae are deposited directly onto the food, which the larvae will eat from. The life cycle for the flesh flies can be completed in 8 to 21 days.
Blow Flies and Bottle Flies
There are quite a few species of blowflies and bottle flies found in and around residences. Green bottle, blue bottle, and bronze bottle flies may be more abundant in urban areas than houseflies.
Blowflies and bottle flies can breed on dead rodents and birds. They usually breed in meat scraps, animal excrement, and decaying animal matter around houses. The adult flies are quite active inside and are strongly attracted to light.
The life cycle usually lasts 9-21 days from egg to adult.
There are more than 120,000 species of flies, typically we only concentrate on the 6 species which represent the vast majority of the problems for humans and animals: house, stable, flesh, blow, blue & green bottle, and dump flies.
Flies have been around as long as mankind and have been found in all seven continents. It has been documented that the fly transmits deadly diseases such as typhoid fever, dysentery, cholera, yaws, anthrax, leprosy and tuberculosis just to name a few. In many instances, flies are the indirect cause of low cattle weight and poultry death.
During a fly's lifetime (usually a 30 day cycle), a female fly will lay anywhere from 400-600 eggs. Each fly egg hatches into a small, grub-like, creature (larvae), which looks more like an inchworm than a fly. By eating nutrients from soil, ponds or even in the sea, larvae will grow to adult fly size within a few days.
Some Other Facts About Flies:
Flies have over 4,000 facets for sight in each eye.
Flies are attracted by movement more than color.
Flies have a smelling distance of over 750 yards.
A fly's feeding range is usually limited to two miles.
A single garbage can, if not emptied, can be the breeding ground for 30,000 flies.
During warm weather, a fly can produce a family generation in less than two weeks.
TYPES OF FLIES:
There are several kinds of flies that are common around farms, residential areas and food-handling establishments.
House Fly -
The housefly, Musca domestica, is one of the most common of all insects.It is a worldwide pest in homes, barns, poultry houses, food-processing plants, recreation areas, etc.
House fly eggs are laid in almost any type of warm organic material.Animal or poultry manure is an excellent breeding medium. Decaying vegetation such as grass clippings and garbage can also provide for optimum breeding conditions.
Houseflies are strong fliers and can become widely distributed by flying, wind currents, vehicles and animals. Generally, though, flies are abundant in the immediate vicinity of their breeding site.
Stable Fly -
The stable fly, also known as the dog fly, is a blood-sucking fly. Stable flies primarily attack animals for blood, but in the absence of an animal will also bite humans.
An adult stable fly can fly up to 70 miles from their breeding sites. The stable fly adult is similar to the housefly in size and color. The stable fly, however, has a long bayonet-like mouthpart for sucking blood. Unlike many other fly species, both male and female stable flies suck blood.
Stable fly bites are extremely painful to both man and animal. When hungry, stable flies are quite persistent and will continue to pursue a blood meal even after being swatted several times.
Flesh Flies -
Flesh flies are a scavenger fly species that usually feed on meat scraps and dead animal carcasses.
Female flesh flies retain eggs within their bodies until the eggs are ready to hatch. The larvae are deposited directly onto the food, which the larvae will eat from. The life cycle for the flesh flies can be completed in 8 to 21 days.
Blow Flies and Bottle Flies
There are quite a few species of blowflies and bottle flies found in and around residences. Green bottle, blue bottle, and bronze bottle flies may be more abundant in urban areas than houseflies.
Blowflies and bottle flies can breed on dead rodents and birds. They usually breed in meat scraps, animal excrement, and decaying animal matter around houses. The adult flies are quite active inside and are strongly attracted to light.
The life cycle usually lasts 9-21 days from egg to adult.
Now you're just showing off.
TN Cattle Man
Well-known member
Not really, just found out a long time time ago that the only way to defeat your enemies is to get to know them really well... I HATE FLIES!!!TennesseeTuxedo":1lt12uxp said:Now you're just showing off.
