There are a variety of nuisance flies that can negatively affect dairy cattle productivity. Understanding the differences between these flies will help determine which flies are bothering your cattle. Once the target fly is identified, it will be easier to develop a plan of action to get your fly population under control.
House Flies
- Nonmetallic, dull grayish color with four distinct stripes on thorax
- 6mm – 7mm in length
- Sponging type mouthparts
- Eggs are 1mm long, slightly curved and a whitish color
- Eggs are laid in batches in animal manure, wet organic matter, spilled feed, compost piles and other potential larval development areas
Stable Flies
- Distinct checkerboard pattern on abdomen
- Piercing type mouthparts used to penetrate skin of host for blood meals
- Eggs are 1mm long and laid in batches
- Larvae live in fecal material that has been mixed with soil, straw, bedding material, silage or grain
- The economic injury level for feeder cattle is when the stable fly population reaches an average of about five flies per front leg
Face Flies
- Slightly larger than the house fly, grayish color and four stripes on thorax
- Males have abdomens that are yellowish-orange in color
- Sponging type mouthparts
- Eggs are laid on fresh undisturbed cattle manure and feed under the dung crust once they hatch
- Adults feed on secretions around the eyes, nose and mouth of cattle
Horn Flies
- Half the size of house and stable flies and grayish in color with two stripes on thorax
- Piercing type mouthparts used to take up to 40 blood meals per day
- Found congregating on backs of cattle
- Eggs are reddish-brown and laid in freshly deposited cow pats
- Larvae feed in the manure pat and pupate underneath the soil around the pat
Dairymen can protect their cattle by implementing ClariFly® Larvicide as part of an IPM program as well as practicing proper sanitation, maintaining building repairs and utilizing baits and traps such as those in the Starbar® line of products. Eliminating manure and adding ClariFly® Larvicide to your feed early in the spring before flies begin to appear can lead to more productive cattle and increase your operation’s bottom line.
