As a beef producer, you battle face flies, house flies, horn flies and stable flies every spring and summer. These pests are estimated to cost U.S. producers up to $2 billion annually, according to the Journal of Economic Entomology.
Types of Flies That Affect Cattle
There are four major types of flies that impact cattle health and productivity:
Horn Flies: Small, black, blood-sucking flies that stay on cattle day and night. During peak summer, there can be 1,000 - 4,000 horn flies per cow, causing serious harm. Just 1,000 horn flies can bite a cow 30,000 times a day, draining up to a half-pint of blood daily.
Face Flies: Larger than horn flies, face flies don’t bite but feed on blood from cuts or wounds. They can transmit diseases such as pinkeye and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR).
Stable Flies: Painful, blood-feeding flies that usually attack cattle’s front legs. Unlike horn flies, stable flies rip the skin, causing blood to flow. As few as 4-6 stable flies per cow can have an economic impact.
House Flies: These flies irritate cattle and spread diseases, including bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), IBR, E. coli, pinkeye and mastitis.
Fly Control Methods for Cattle
The goal of fly control is to keep populations below the economic threshold, ideally under 200 horn flies per cow.
Various fly control methods include:
Ear Tags: Convenient and effective for some producers.
Sprays and Insecticides: Offer quick results but need regular application.
Oilers and Dust Bags: Help apply insecticides evenly as cattle rub against them.
Pour-on Dewormers: Can kill flies and other parasites.
Dung Beetles and Parasitic Wasps: Natural predators that reduce fly populations.
Vet Guns: Shoots insecticide capsules directly onto cattle.
Feedthrough Additives: Mixes with feed and passes through the cattle’s system to target fly larvae in manure.
Unfortunately, flies can develop resistance to some chemical methods, making it essential for producers to use a combination of fly control strategies to achieve the best results.
Below is an in-depth look at each fly control method in a webinar by nutritionist, Dr. Jeff Hill.
Garlic for Fly Control in Cattle
Garlic is an increasingly popular tool in the fight against flies. Recent studies show it can be effective as part of cattle mineral mixes, helping reduce fly populations.
A Canadian study in Saskatchewan found that adding garlic to mineral feed cut fly populations by up to 50% in cow-calf herds. Three herds were tested, with two receiving a salt-mineral mix and one receiving a garlic-enriched mix. The garlic-fed herd averaged just 75 flies per cow throughout the summer.
Average Fly Counts By Cow-Calf Group in Canadian Study
Chart: Canadian Cattlemen
Why Garlic Works as a Fly Repellent
Garlic contains sulfur compounds that give it a strong odor and flavor. When cattle consume garlic, these compounds are excreted through their skin and respiratory system, naturally repelling flies. Garlic has also been shown to help repel ticks and improve gut health in ruminants.
It’s recommended to add garlic to cattle mineral in the spring and continue through fall for the best results.
Add Garlic to Ralco's Rumatec Minerals for Enhanced Fly Control
Interested in adding garlic to your mineral program? Ralco’s Rumatec Cow/Calf Mineral line can be customized with garlic to help give your herd a natural defense against flies. By incorporating garlic, Rumatec minerals also help repel ticks, making it easier to keep pests at bay throughout the grazing season.
Learn More About Fly Control for Cattle
To learn more about how garlic and other fly control methods can benefit your cattle, watch Dr. Jeff Hill’s webinar on fly management or contact a ruminant nutritionist at 507-337-6916 or RuminantHelp@RalcoAgriculture.com.
Rumatec Cow/Calf Mineral
The Rumatec line of cow/calf mineral supplements provides the needed nutrients commonly deficient in forages to help ensure optimum performance and reproductive efficiency.