Doesn’t time “fly?”

In Rach Coopers first issue of TechTails with her new knee, she goes into detail on the importance of fly control this year and how the VetTech team can help.

Flies are just a real nuisance to us and livestock. Being plagued by these pests all day and night during a particularly bad spell, there is undoubtedly going to be a knock on effect to daily live weight gain and productivity. But it’s not just productivity; they can also spread diseases such as summer mastitis in cattle.

I want to reintroduce this year our preventative control options. You’re probably aware by now that we utilise fly parasites on farm and have had some great successes in reducing the overall fly population from season to season.

Fly wasp parasites actively search for fly eggs to parasitize – a fully natural product that kills flies so there’s no resistance.

Of course, fully controlling fly population requires an integrated approach. Our advice would be to implement parasites on your farm, along with the use of Sheila boards and sprays to control specific outbreaks. Over the course of a few seasons, the parasites will really take hold and your fly population will reduce.

Benefits of using parasites for fly control

  • Reduces use of chemicals
  • Reduces resistance to chemicals when used
  • Encourages other insects to develop, such as beetles and red mite predators
  • Over a period of time, the cost of fly control is reduced
  • A non-chemical approach for organic farms

We’re putting in orders of parasites within the next few weeks, so now is a great time to look ahead to fly control! Give us a call for more information.