Health
There's no eliminating flies. But with some planning and management, you can take a solid whack at the damage and performance loss they cause.
For one thing, it's no secret that face flies and horn flies develop resistance to insecticides over time. According to John Maas, University of California-Davis Extension veterinarian, that means switching the class of drug used to combat them every season or two can add protective power.
"If you used an organophosphate ear tag last year, use a pyrethroid ear tag this year. Additionally, if you plan to use a pyrethroid ear tag this year, use an organophosphate spray this year," says Maas. "It is also recommended that application of ear tags be delayed until the fly population is relatively high so the possibility of the flies developing resistance is lowered."
While Maas says sprays, back rubbers, face rubbers and dust bags can be helpful in reducing fly populations early in the season, before ear tag application, he explains applying insecticide ear tags as fly populations increase can increase the benefit. And, he stresses, always follow manufacturers' label directions for ear tag application in order to maximize results.
There's no eliminating flies. But with some planning and management, you can take a solid whack at the damage and performance loss they cause.
For one thing, it's no secret that face flies and horn flies develop resistance to insecticides over time. According to John Maas, University of California-Davis Extension veterinarian, that means switching the class of drug used to combat them every season or two can add protective power.
"If you used an organophosphate ear tag last year, use a pyrethroid ear tag this year. Additionally, if you plan to use a pyrethroid ear tag this year, use an organophosphate spray this year," says Maas. "It is also recommended that application of ear tags be delayed until the fly population is relatively high so the possibility of the flies developing resistance is lowered."
While Maas says sprays, back rubbers, face rubbers and dust bags can be helpful in reducing fly populations early in the season, before ear tag application, he explains applying insecticide ear tags as fly populations increase can increase the benefit. And, he stresses, always follow manufacturers' label directions for ear tag application in order to maximize results.
