Swine Operations
Swine operations tend to be fully enclosed and can be in close proximity to peoples’ homes. Because of this, fly infestations among swine are threats to human communities as well as animals. They require continuous control – temporary relief such as sprays will not stop infestations from spreading.
In order to control flies on a swine operation, encourage producers to consider adding a feed-through product like ClariFly® Larvicide to their Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. ClariFly® Larvicide is formulated to specifically target the fly species present on enclosed operations. Its active ingredient disrupts fly life cycles during the larval stage, thus preventing populations from maturing. For best results, every animal on the operation must be treated with ClariFly® Larvicide.
Understanding the Problem
On a swine operation, producers will find house flies, stable flies, dark-eyed fruit flies and other manure breeding flies. These species can reduce an operation’s profits in several ways. As vectors for costly diseases like PRRS and PEDv, house flies can cause illness to spread between animals. Additionally, stress resulting from biting stable flies can disrupt feeding schedules, which leads to weight gain reductions. Stable fly bites also result in trim loss, which can add up to a $15 loss per head.
Because house flies are vectors for human diseases like E. coli and Salmonella, fly infestations can present a threat to local communities. House flies can also travel up to 1.5 miles, so nuisance complaints from neighbors may be frequent. Lastly, fly populations make for unhealthy and unpleasant working environments for employees on operations.
The Dark-eyed fruit fly is also a nuisance pest on swine operations. They are one of the most common flies found in confined swine housing and disrupt the comfort of not only the animal but also humans working inside the premises.
House Fly
- Feeds freely on human food, fresh animal waste and rotting garbage
- Prefers manure and warm decaying organic matter as breeding sources
- Disease vectors – known to transmit 65 disease organisms, such as PEDv, Parvovirus, E. coli, PRRS, Dysentery, etc.
Stable Fly
- Feeds on blood, inflicting painful bites on a variety of animals, including humans
- Breeds in rotting vegetation, urine-soaked bedding and manure/vegetation mixtures
- Biting flies cause hide damage that leads to trim loss
Fly Management Through IPM
Effective control of costly fly populations on swine operations requires a complete integrated pest management (IPM) program. In addition to feed-through products, an IPM program incorporates several routine practices and control methods that keep fly populations in check.
Building an IPM program can be broken down into three phases; planning, implementation and evaluation.
Click on the pie chart below to learn more.
How Feed-Through Products Work
Conventional pesticides attack the nervous systems of flies. A feed-through insect growth regulator (IGR) such as ClariFly® Larvicide works by interrupting the fly’s life cycle rather than through direct toxicity.
ClariFly® Larvicide is ingested with the swine feed. As they eat, swine disperse the larvicide via their manure, where female flies lay their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae. At this point, however, the active ingredient in ClariFly® Larvicide disrupts the development of the flies' exoskeleton; this disruption prevents larvae from developing properly into adult flies. The fly life cycle is effectively broken.
For best results, ClariFly® Larvicide should be added to your feed supplement 30 days before fly emergence (typically when average daily temperatures reach 65 degrees) and continued throughout the fly season. To learn more about how ClariFly® Larvicide can help a swine operation, download our educational product information.
Next Steps
ClariFly® Larvicide Formulations
Selecting the right formulation of feed through for a specific operation is necessary for an effective integrated pest management program. It is dependent on multiple factors, including the size of the operation, the animals’ weights and the intensity of the fly problem.
ClariFly® Larvicide can be mixed at the feed dealer, custom blended or sold as a manufacturing-use product with varying levels of active ingredient. ClariFly® Larvicide’s representatives can help producers and feed dealers decide which of the following formulations is right for them.
To learn more about these formulations, visit CentralFlyControl.com.
ClariFly® Larvicide Formulations:
- ClariFly® Larvicide Livestock Premix 0.67% - Premixed into feed with a .67% active ingredient level (also available for custom blending).
- ClariFly® Larvicide 267 - Specially formulated for use in swine feeds, and is approved for use in supplements, complete feeds, concentrates, and premixes.
Become Certified
This is an opportunity to become certified in Centralized Fly Control. By no means an official designation, Centralized Fly Control Certification will improve your feed-through knowledge so you can provide your customers with accurate product knowledge and expertise in how to control flies across a variety of livestock markets.