It’s a little hard for those of us in the upper Midwest to think about fly control…there are still piles of snow on the ground! Nevertheless, fly season is just around the corner for us and has already started for producers further south.

Flies can be a pain, literally and figuratively. But did you know they can cost you money too?  Horn files in particular mean blood loss to your cattle, which results in lower performance from your cows (i.e. milk production) and lower weaning weights by 12 to 14 pounds (dollars in your pocket). On average, flies cost the cattle industry $800 million annually.

For a fly control program to really be effective, timing is everything. The best way to get the flies is to use a feed-through fly control supplement before they are going to be a problem; usually 30 days before the last frost in the spring. From the map below, you can see that those down in the Gulf and Southeastern states are already well into fly season. Those of us further north still have a month or so to prepare.

Feed-through fly control additives, like Rabon^® or Altosid^®, work in the manure of treated cattle to break the lifecycle between larvae and adult stages. Since horn flies only lay their eggs in fresh manure, it’s a great way to help control fly populations. It’s important to keep in mind that even though you’re feeding a fly control supplement that existing adult flies will not be controlled by the supplement and that sometimes a knock-down treatment is required at the start of your feed-through supplement program.

CRYSTALYX^® offers Rabon^® and Altosid^® in both protein and mineral supplements. The added benefit of CRYSTALYX^®’s proven consistent, whole-herd intake means that your cattle will get the right dose every time. Not to mention complete mineral and vitamin supplementation with ROLYX^® MAX or IGR MAX™ and added protein with ROLYX^® PRO and IGR PRO™. For more information on fly control products and programs from CRYSTALYX^®, select the “Proven Results” bar at the top of the page and select “Fly Control”.

Rabon^® is a registered trademark of KMG Chemicals, Inc, Houston, TX.
Altosid^® is a registered trademark of Wellmark International, Shamburg, IL.