Swine operations have to fight an abundance of insects, but no pest poses a greater threat than the common house fly. Uncontrolled, persistent fly problems on swine operations will negatively impact animals, workers and neighbors, resulting in a reduced bottom line. Some potential threats posed by flies on pigs include:
Disease Transmission
House flies are vectors known to spread 65 disease organisms such as PEDv, parovirus, Senecavirus, E.coli, PRRS and more. Since pigs are in such close proximity, disease and illness can spread quickly through an operation, increasing overall treatment costs.
Costly Losses
Flies on pigs can also add physical and emotional stress that puts the animals off feed and results in reduced swine weight gain. As unchecked fly populations grow, a pig operation can start to see a reduced bottom line. Fly control for swine is a smart investment to protect against economic losses from flies.
A Threat to Your Neighbors
Not only do flies pose a threat to your pig operation, they also affect neighboring communities. Flies can travel up to 4 miles, which creates unpleasant and unhealthy living conditions for your neighbors. There can be potential fines and even fly nuisance lawsuits from neighboring communities associated with leaving fly populations untreated.
Understanding how to control flies on swine begins with understanding the pest’s life cycle. House flies move from animal to animal causing irritation and spreading swine disease. Eventually, female flies leave the animals to lay their eggs in fresh manure. Disrupting this life cycle is an essential component to controlling flies.
ClariFly® Larvicide Livestock Premix 0.67% is a feed additive that prevents flies from developing in the manure of treated animals. Unlike conventional insecticides that attack the nervous system of insects through direct toxicity, ClariFly® Larvicide Livestock Premix 0.67% works by interrupting the flies’ life cycle, preventing them from maturing.
Selecting the right product formulation of feed-through for a specific operation is dependent on multiple factors, including the size of the operation, the animals’ weights and the intensity of the fly problem. The dosage of ClariFly® Larvicide Livestock Premix 0.67% is proportional to the pig’s body weight.
For optimal results, use ClariFly® Larvicide Livestock Premix 0.67% as part of an integrated pest management program. It takes multiple practices and products all working together to provide the highest level of protection for your pig operation. Starbar® products, like EZ Trap® Fly Trap and many others, are another way to control flies on pigs.
To learn more about fly control on a swine operation, download our “Insect Control Resource Guide: Swine Edition” or contact your feed distributor to implement ClariFly® Larvicide into your feed.
