Dr. Lainie Kringen-Scholtz is Associate Veterinarian at Twin Lakes Animal Clinic in Madison, South Dakota.
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You can’t find a cattle magazine without the subject of fly control in it right now. So, we might as well jump in, too.
This is THE question. What is new in fly control? Not a whole lot. But why? We have such resistance, the pour-ons don’t last, the fly tags don’t work, etc. etc. So why is there nothing new to use?
It is because of the extreme cost of making new products. According to the Purdue University, it costs approximately $180 million to create a new pesticide. This cost includes discovery, development and registration of the new active ingredient.
How to effectively use the products that we have
We have several products available that we can choose from. The goal is to choose a drug class and stick with it for the whole year. That means that your fly tags, pour on and sprays are all in the same drug class all year long.
The fly life cycle is around three weeks long. Pour-ons typically last only about that long. When flies get between 100-200 flies per animal, it is time to fog or pour again.
You also have to have a season-long plan which includes fly tags, oilers, and feed throughs. Note that with fly tags, they should be applied to the back of the ears to aid in absorption in the skin. Adults always get two tags.
Saying that pinkeye vaccines are minimally effective is generous. The research doesn’t support them, but in the field, we do perceive them to be somewhat helpful.
With all that being said, here are your drug classes and a few of their products to help you pick a drug class and stick with it this year. Then next year, rotate drug classes.
Insect growth inhibitors (IGIs) and insect growth regulators (IGRs) work in the same way to inhibit fly formation in the manure. These products should be fed at least two weeks prior to fly season and then all the way through until the end of fly season.
IGIs include the pour on Diflubenzuron (CleanUp II also has permethrin) and the feed through Diflubenzuron (ClariFly).
IGRs include the feed through Methorprene (Altosid, Crystalyx).
Flies do not have a lot of resistance with these products so it is OK to use the same one every year.
These products act on an enzyme called AChE to inhibit nerve transmission. It comes in pour ons (Coumaphos (Co-Ral)), fly tags (Coumaphos + Diazinon (Corathon), Diazinon (Patriot, Warrior, Optimizer, Terminator II)), Pirimiphos (Dominator, Double Barrel VP (also pyrethroid)), sprays/fogs (Dichlorvos (Vapona)) and feed throughs (Tetrachlorvinphos (Rabon)).
These products also include oiler options: Phosmet (Prolate-Lintox HD, Paramite) and Coumaphos (Co-Ral ELI).
These products paralyze the muscles in the insects. They include topicals such as Ivermectin (Ivomec), Doramectin (Dectomax), Eprinomectin (Eprinex) and Moxidectin (Cydectin) and the fly tag Abamectin + synergist (XP 820).
Pyrroles affect the powerhouse of the cell, the mitochondria. There is one product that I know of and it is a pour on called Chlorfenapyr (Spectre 2 SC).
These are probably the most common of all the above products. They inhibit the sodium channels in the nerves.
Pour on options include: Permethrin + piperonyl (Ultraboss), Permethrin (Permectin II, Intersect II, CleanUp II), Lambda cyhalothrin + piperonyl (Ultrasaber), Lambda cyhalothrin (Cyonara), Cyfluthrin (Cylence) and Gamma cyalothrin (Standguard).
Fly tag options include: Zeta cypermethrin + synergist (PYthon), Permethrin (Gardstar Plus), Beta cyfluthrin + piperonyl (CyLence Ultra) and Lambda cyhalothrin + synergist (Saber Extra, Double Barrel VP).
Sprays and fogs include: Permethrin + piperonyl (Vector Ban), Permethrin 10%, and Pyrethrin (PyGanic).
Dr. Lainie Kringen-Scholtz is associate veterinarian at Twin Lakes Animal Clinic in Madison, South Dakota.
This vet report is provided in conjunction with Twin Lakes Animal Clinic and Howard Animal Clinic. Questions? Send an email to Lainie Scholtz, DVM at lainiescholtz@gmail.com, call 605-256-0123, or write 45305 SD Highway 34 Madison, SD 57042.
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Dr. Lainie Kringen-Scholtz is Associate Veterinarian at Twin Lakes Animal Clinic in Madison, South Dakota.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
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