The owners of Ballard Acres dairy farm, founded in 1788 in Georgia, Vt., know the importance of keeping cows fly free. After years of trying other fly-control products, the dairy was first introduced to ClariFly® Larvicide in 2008 when the operation took part in a study conducted by the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute. The objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of ClariFly® Larvicide on fly populations on dairy farms when included in feeds as compared to use of conventional fly control methods. The results showed a significant reduction in fly pressure with the use of ClariFly® Larvicide when compared to other methods.
“We were quite impressed within the first two to three weeks with the results our farm was experiencing,” said Grady Ballard, Ballard Acres. “The fly population was dramatically reduced and the cows and calves were no longer being bothered by nuisance flies.”
ClariFly® Larvicide is a feed additive that disrupts the development of fly larvae and reduces the emergence of adult flies from the manure of treated animals. The active ingredient in ClariFly® Larvicide, diflubenzuron, prevents flies from properly forming exoskeletons during molting and results in death before they can become adult flies. This mode of action is different than conventional insecticides that attack the nervous system of adult insects.
Heavy populations of flies can negatively affect the health and performance of dairy cattle, while also being a nuisance to farmers and surrounding neighbors. In the past, the farm has used various products to combat nuisance flies common to dairy farms such as house flies, stable flies, horn flies and face flies. However, Ballard claims that no product has yielded greater success than ClariFly® Larvicide from Central Life Sciences.
“Honestly, our cattle’s comfort and productivity seem to get better each year we use ClariFly Larvicide,” said Ballard. “We definitely have not experienced any resistance issues with the product and wouldn’t trust our 400-head dairy operation to any other fly control product!”
Learn more at www.centralflycontrol.com.
