is the common name for insects which belong to the order of Diptera that include the small house fly, fruit fly, blowfly, botfly, deerfly, horsefly and the pesky gnat.
Many flies are harmful as either carriers or as biters and bloodsuckers. They attack the eyes (tears), any cut or wound. They lay eggs of parasite worms such as the maggot in any open wound, eyes, ears even burrow into the skin. The itching skin and mites that sometimes results in hairless noses is generally caused by the fly landing on the bridge of the nose and leaving a parasite. They can transmit some of the most deadly diseases such as typhoid, hepatitis, leprosy, cholera and many others.
To rid yourself of the fly you need a wide variety of preventive measures.
1) Clean up the poop piles. Get rid of anything that attracts flies.
2) Spread around some Zeolite (Sweet PDZ) to dry up the ground, avoid lime products.
3) Use wood shavings or shredded cardboard as well. (Use wood shavings ONLY at the poop pile.)
4) Use non-chemical solutions to rid yourself of these pesky flies.
a) Sticky fly strips that hang from the ceiling. You can buy a case (96) of them, they have a terrific shelf life.
b) Use non-chemical fly traps.
Now wait just a minute, let's not clean up too much!
Put the hay and all feed in a clean and dry place (preferably outside).
I truly believe that keeping things too clean can become just as much a problem as leaving them too dirty. There is a happy medium. Want to know why?
Are you in the business of selling alpacas? Well yes.
What happens when the alpacas you sell goes to a place that is not a clean as your place?
Gulf Coast Tick, Spinose Ear Tick (and Lone Star Tick) in Ears
The Gulf Coast tick, a hard-bodied tick, commonly infests cattle brought in from eastern Oklahoma and states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. The species is now established in much of south central and southeastern Kansas, and in those areas our native cattle are sometimes heavily infested with it from late March through June. It is a three-host tick; larvae and nymphs feed on birds or small rodents while adults prefer livestock. Large numbers sometimes cluster in the outer ear of cattle, causing intense soreness. Under severe infestations the muscles of the ears become weakened, resulting in a flop-eared condition commonly referred to as “gotch ear.”
The spinose ear tick, a soft-bodied species, also inhabits the ears of cattle but only in the larval and nymphal stages. They often attach deep within the ear canal of cattle and other animals (occasionally man). The nymphs are covered with spines which make them difficult to dislodge. They cause intense pain as they puncture the skin within the ear and suck blood. Feeding wounds may become infected causing a condition known as “ear canker.” Adults of this species live on the ground away from the host and do not feed.
Spinose ear ticks occur sparsely across southern and far western Kansas, but are found more frequently in cattle from southwestern states.
Lone star ticks are plentiful in brushy pastures of eastern Kansas. This species may infest the animal’s entire body but sometimes concentrates in the ears and may cause a “cupping” deformity of ears of young stock. In such cases, ear treatment is indicated (see below).
Chemical Controls
Two insecticidal ear tags per animal, containing a pyrethroid, will bring most infestations under control and keep infestations at a low level for several weeks.
More rapid control of established infestations (but less lasting protection where there is danger of reinfestation) can be obtained by individual ear treatment with appropriately labeled insecticides applied into the ear. In addition to the following, various dusts and liquids are packaged in pressurized ready-touse spray cans expressly for cattle ear treatment.
AMITRAZ (Taktic) 0.03%
Mix 1 pint can of Taktic 12.5% EC in 50 gallons of water (or equivalent ratio in smaller amounts). Use within 6 hours after mixing. Treat the head, ears, shoulder area and neck with low pressure spray. No pre-slaughter waiting interval.
PERMETHRIN (Ectiban, Insectaban, Permectrin) 0.075 to 0.08%
Mix 2 ounces of Permectrin II 10% EIL in 1 gallon diesel fuel or clean water. Apply 1⁄2 ounce into and onto each ear. Or mix 1 quart of Ectiban or Insectaban 5.7% EC in 21⁄2 gallons of water. Apply 1⁄2 to 1 ounce of spray into each ear. Repeat no more often than every 2 weeks. No pre-slaughter waiting period.
Or mix 1⁄3 pound (5.3 oz.) of Permectrin 25% WP in 12 gallons of water and apply 1⁄2 ounce of the mixture to each ear. Repeat no more often than every 3 weeks. No pre-slaughter waiting interval.
PHOSMET (Del-Phos) 0.116%
For control of Gulf Coast ticks, according to label directions, mix one part Del-Phos 11.6% Emulsifiable Liquid per 100 parts of water and apply to cattle as a high pressure spray, soaking to the skin. But, be careful not to use high pressure when spraying directly into the ears of cattle where this species of tick is most likely to be aggregated. A 3-day pre-slaughter interval is required.
TETRACHLORVINPHOS/DICHLORVOS (Ravap) 0.6%
Registered for control of lone star ticks only; mix 1 gallon of Ravap 28.7% EC with 50 gallons of water. No withholding period required.
- TREATMENTS FOR:
- . Spinose Ear Ticks
- . Ticks (in general)
- . The Fly
Ticks are most numerous in brushy, tree-infested pastures, especially where rodents and deer also are abundant. They are wingless, eight-legged, blood-sucking parasites of warmblooded animals.
There are two general types of ticks: the hard-bodied ticks and the soft-bodied ticks. Some hard-bodied ticks have shiny white or silvery markings on their backs. Soft-bodied ticks have no contrasting color pattern and their bodies have a granular texture. When not engorged with blood, adult ticks are 1⁄8 to 3⁄16 of an inch long. Engorged females become so distended that they become egg-shaped and may be as big as a pea or even a small grape.
Ticks go through three developmental stages after hatching from the egg. These are the 6-legged larva (seed tick), the 8-legged nymph (yearling), and the adult. Juvenile stages climb onto vegetation and wait for a passing animal, often parasitizing rodents, rabbits, raccoons and other small animals. After engorging on blood, they drop to the ground and molt to the next stage. Adults also gain access to animals, including deer and cattle, by climbing onto grass or shrubs. They usually mate on the host animal. The females then drop to the ground and lay several thousand tiny eggs.
Ticks not only withdraw blood, but they may transmit bovine anaplasmosis as well as a number of diseases of man.
The principal ticks on cattle in Kansas are the American dog tick which is found throughout the state, the lone star tick which is found in eastern Kansas, and theGulf Coast tick in south central and southeastern Kansas. All are hard-bodied ticks.
Non-chemical Control Methods
During an early life stage most tick species are dependent on rodent hosts such as mice, wood rats, gophers and rabbits. Reducing the numbers of these animals also may reduce tick numbers. Where appropriate, eliminate shrubs and trees as mixed grassy and woody vegetation provides habitat for both rodents and ticks and affords climbing sites from which ticks can attach to passing people and animals.
Late spring burning of native tallgrass pastures increases grass production and livestock-carrying capacity, reduces rodent habitat, reduces tick populations directly, and can eliminate tick habitat and climbing sites. Earlier spring burning of fescue and brome pastures provides some of the same benefits but is less likely to kill as many of the ticks by fire.
Chemical Controls for Ticks (Other than Gulf Coast Tick and Spinose Ear Tick)
Note: There are no chemical tick controls registered in Kansas for direct application to pastures. Control of ticks on cattle may be accomplished by use of the following.
AMITRAZ (Taktic) 0.03%
Mix 1 quart can of Taktic 12.5% EC in 100 gallons of water. Apply within 6 hours after mixing, making sure spray penetrates to the skin until run-off. Use up to 2 gallons of spray for a fully grown animal. No pre-slaughter waiting interval.
COUMAPHOS (Co-Ral) 0.1 to 0.23%
To spray, use 2 gallons of 5.8% Livestock Insecticide Spray, 4 pounds of 25% WP, or, using one of the Restricted Use Pesticides, mix 1 gallon of 11.6% ELI or 1 to 2 quarts of 42% F per 100 gallons of water.
To dip, use 4 to 8 pounds of 25% WP or 1 to 2 quarts of 42% F per 100 gallons of water. No pre-slaughter waiting interval for either dip or spray. Do not use Co-Ral on calves under 3 months old.
PERMETHRIN (Atroban, Ectiban, Expar, Gardstar, Insectaban, Insectrin, Permectrin) 0.0125 to 0.05%
Spray no more often than once every 10 days with 2 quarts of Atroban or Expar 11% EC in 100 gallons of water. Spray no more often than once every 2 weeks with 1 quart Ectiban, Insectaban or Insectrin 5.7% EC, 1 pint to 1 quart of Permectrin II 10% EIL, or 1 pint of GardStar 40% EC or Atroban 42.5% EC per 100 gallons of water. Spray no more often than once in 3 weeks with 2 pounds of Permectrin 25% WP per 100 gallons of water. No pre-slaughter waiting interval.
PHOSMET (GX-118, Prolate, Del-Phos, Lintox-HD) (Caution: Grubicide) 0.125 to 0.25%
Spray no more often than every 7 to 10 days with 1 gallon of Prolate, Del-Phos, or Lintox-HD 11.6% E in 100 gallons of water. 3-day waiting period prior to slaughter.
Spray no more often than every 7 to 10 days with 1 gallon of GX-118 in 49 gallons of water. 21-day waiting period before slaughter. For dipping, read and carefully follow GX-118 label for complex vat charging and maintenance procedures.
TETRACHLORVINPHOS (Stirofos, Rabon) 0.5%
Spray with a mixture using 8 pounds of 50% WP per 100 gallons of water. No pre-slaughter waiting interval.
TETRACHLORVINPHOS/DICHLORVOS (Ravap) 0.6%
Registered for control of lone star ticks only; mix 1 gallon Ravap 28.7% EC with 50 gallons of water. No withholding period required.
Pour-ons
Aid in control of ticks may be obtained by applying a 1% permethrin pour-on. See Permethrin under Pour-Ons in the section on Horn Flies. Do not treat more often than once every 2 weeks. No pre-slaughter waiting interval.
Bolus
The Ivomec SR Bolus is registered for control of lone star ticks, but no other tick species. Use this bolus only on calves weighing between 275 and 660 pounds. Treated cattle should not be slaughtered within 180 days after administration of the bolus.
- References:
- www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/ENTML2/C671.PDF
- Much of what is listed below is for Cattle, always contact your camelid vet for treatment for alpacas.