Evaluation of Pelleting a Feedthrough Larvicide on Dairy Calf Behavior and Fly Control

Get the most effective control of flies on a dairy with a comprehensive IPM program built around ClariFly® Larvicide

In an uncertain market, dairy producers must make certain that they are doing all they can to maximize the variables within their control — milk production and cost of production.
This includes the effective management of flies that can interfere with cow comfort, health and ultimately profitability. Flies cost the dairy industry more than $1 billion in losses each year through the spreading of bacteria and other organisms which can lead to infections like mastitis and pink eye. These infections are not only costly to treat but also decrease yield potential. Effective fly control on a dairy requires a comprehensive integrated pest management (IPM) program, and the most effective IPM programs incorporate the use of ClariFly® Larvicide.
ClariFly® Larvicide from Central Life Sciences is a feed-through solution providing control of house, face, stable and horn flies for dairy cows on pasture or in confinement. While each phase of an IPM program plays a critical role in fly control, studies have shown that programs incorporating ClariFly® Larvicide can achieve as much as a 96.7% reduction in the development of flies emerging from the manure of treated animals.*
Ballard Acres dairy farm of Georgia, Vt. is one such dairy that has found success with ClariFly® Larvicide. Founded in 1788, the operation has remained a viable family farm for more than two centuries, and the Ballards know the importance of effective fly control. They have used various products to combat nuisance flies on the dairy, but no product has yielded greater success than ClariFly® Larvicide.
"Before we started using ClariFly Larvicide at Ballard Acres, we tried a few other products that claimed to offer reliable fly protection, but we were still seeing large amounts of flies on the cattle and in the barn," said Grady Ballard, seventh generation at Ballard Acres. After introducing ClariFly® Larvicide to the farm's fly-control program, the results were immediate.
"We were quite impressed within the first two to three weeks with the results our farm was experiencing. The fly population was dramatically reduced and the cows and calves were no longer being bothered by nuisance flies," Ballard added.
Producers like Ballard have found success relying on ClariFly® Larvicide as the foundation for a comprehensive IPM program. Various routine practices and control methods come together in a concerted effort in an IPM program to help keep fly populations in check and below an established economic threshold.
"There's no single silver bullet that can solve all of the fly problems on a dairy, so we work with our customers to devise a complete plan for the highest level of control," said Mark Upton, director of sales for the feed additives division of Central Life Sciences, makers of ClariFly® Larvicide. "We recommend a three-phase 'P.I.E.' approach to IPM, consisting of planning, implementation and evaluation."
The Central Life Sciences approach to IPM begins with Planning, which lays the groundwork for the IPM program through the monitoring of fly activity and development of the control strategy. The program then moves into Implementation where the actual fly-control tactics are put into action. Finally, results are measured in the Evaluation stage, allowing producers to make any necessary adjustments to the program.
The Implementation phase provides the basis of the IPM program, incorporating the actual tactics and steps the operation will take in an effort to control fly populations. These efforts are frequently illustrated as a pyramid built on four categories — Cultural, Physical/Mechanical, Biological and Chemical.
In the Cultural phase, daily habits are established and best sanitation practices are put into place, such as manure management, landscape maintenance and the cleanup of spilled feed or milk. Mechanical/Physical efforts include the maintenance of all structures and facilities to deny access points to flies, making the areas less hospitable to the pests. These efforts are also aided by the strategic placement of non-insecticidal sticky, bag and jug traps around the premises — such as those available in the Starbar® lineup of products. Many of these options are odor free, providing ideal fits for enclosed spaces.
Biological control incorporates naturally occurring fly enemies, including predatory beetles and parasitic wasps, to keep the pests under control. Finally, the Chemical phase of a comprehensive IPM program includes both a "Conventional" and a "Biorational" component.

The "Conventional" half of the Chemical phase includes the use of insecticidal baits, perimeter sprays and foggers, and on-animal treatments for the knockdown control of adult flies. The "Biorational" half includes the use of ClariFly® Larvicide, a feed-through fly-control solution, to prevent the emergence of adult flies. Feed-through fly-control products work by passing through into the animal's manure where flies lay their eggs. Rather than control flies through direct toxicity, the active ingredient in ClariFly® Larvicide interferes with the life cycle of the fly, preventing breeding, biting adults from emerging out of the manure.
"Producers using ClariFly Larvicide know that breaking the fly life cycle is the key to gaining long-term control," said Upton. "Hard-kill products like sprays and tags can be effective, but they require additional effort to apply and can lead to resistance issues within fly populations."
Upton added that the ease of use and reliability of ClariFly® Larvicide are what set the product apart from other feed-through options available. These factors also provide producers with an operational cost certainty not always found with other products.
"There is a perceived cost with some of the do-it-yourself options available on the market that unfortunately doesn't always hold up. Uneven mixes can lead to 'hot' and 'low' spots throughout the feed, preventing cows from getting the proper dosage of products, and requiring costly reapplications," said Upton. "With ClariFly, the product comes premixed to provide the optimal dosage the first time, every time."
Ensuring that the proper amount of active ingredient in a fly-control product is delivered consistently is a key step to maintaining cow health. Nuisance flies can spread more than 65 known pathogens interfering with cow health and milk production. This includes the bacteria that cause mastitis, which destroys milk producing tissue and significantly reduces yields. Limiting fly populations through the use of ClariFly® Larvicide can help reduce the risk of these diseases spreading among dairy cows, as well as the associated costs of treatment and decreased milk yield.
For best results, Upton recommends that operations using ClariFly® Larvicide start including the products in their feed mix early in the spring, 30 days before flies begin to appear through 30 days after the first frost when cold weather reduces or ends fly activity to account for unpredictable weather patterns.
Countless studies have shown that flies can have a serious economic impact on dairy operations by interfering with cow health and profitability. These losses can be compounded by the expense of ineffective or inefficient efforts to control flies. By implementing a comprehensive IPM program built around ClariFly® Larvicide, dairy operations can limit the economic damages from flies while avoiding unexpected and unnecessary control expenses.
Visit CentralFlyControl.com for more information.

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Source: https://www.americandairymen.com/articles/central-life-sciences-control-flies-control-costs-0