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In the heat of the summer, horn flies can be a profit-robbing pest on cattle. Each horn fly can bite and suck blood 20 to 40 times per day. With horn fly populations commonly as high as 1,000 to 2,000 per cow, each cow endures as many as 80,000 bites per day. Cattle suffering from that many horn fly bites are too busy twitching, stomping, and rubbing against feeders to get the nutrition needed. These cows simply do not have sufficient grazing time. In addition, the USDA has estimated that calf weaning weights may be reduced by up to 40 to 50 pounds when horn fly control is not adequate. So, it is easy to see how horn flies can rob profits from an operation. And, in today's market, every pound and every dollar count. Control methods aimed at killing mature flies-sprays, dusts, oilers/backrubbers, and ear tags-provide some relief. However, feed-through products containing an insect growth regulator, IGR, have the distinct upper hand when it comes to fending off these bothersome pests. Because of the horn fly's cross-resistance among active ingredients in ear tags, sprays, and other traditional insecticides, resistance can occur in a single year. As a result, an increase in fly populations in the middle of the fly season can occur. This requires another round of gathering and spraying, dusting or tagging. And that means more hidden costs. A more effective method of controlling horn flies is feeding a mineral product containing an IGR. The IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) in MoorMan's IGR Minerals is similar to a hormone found naturally in horn flies. It passes through the cow's digestive system intact and does its work in manure, where horn flies lay their eggs. These IGR minerals stop horn fly development in the pupa stage, before they mature into harmful adults. As well as alleviating the problem of horn flies, the minerals provide the cattle with essential minerals and vitamins. When choosing a mineral with an IGR, it is important to consider which are more wind and water resistant, maintain a uniform particle size (minimal particle separation), distribute nutrients evenly within the product, and maintain IGR stability for the entire fly season. IGR Minerals is a trademark of MoorMan's, Inc. The insect growth regulator, ALTOSID(R), is a trademark of Wellmark International. |
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