Fly control strategies the topic of upcoming dairy webinar

Learn about fly control strategies for dairy cattle

The I-29 Moo University 2021 Dairy Webinar Series continues Friday, March 26 from Noon to 1 p.m. This month’s topic is fly control strategies.

Roger Moon, retired veterinary entomology expert from the University of Minnesota, will identify common pest flies and how to manage them on confinement dairies.

“Different kinds of flies can bother your cows, workers and neighbors,” said Fred Hall, dairy specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “Stable flies bite, cause cows to bunch, reduce milk production, breed mainly in soiled cow and calf bedding, and pretty much stay on the premise. House flies breed in wetter manure, annoy people and spread off premise to bother neighbors.”

According to Hall, routine premise sprays and fogs can keep numbers of both kinds of flies low in confined spaces, but targeted source reduction through debris management outdoors is a more sustainable approach. Moon will discuss these issues and provide time for participants to ask questions after his presentation.

Moon retired from the University of Minnesota’s Entomology Department in 2016 after 36 years of service in research, teaching and outreach in veterinary entomology. He continues to study and publish a variety of information on the biology, ecology and management of filth flies and other arthropods that occur around livestock, wildlife and people.

Preregistration for the webinar is required; however, there is no registration fee. Registration can be accomplished online at https://z.umn.edu/flycontrolstrategies.

For more information, contact Hall at 712-737-4230, Jim Salfer at 320-203-6093, Tracey Erickson at 605-882-5140 or Kim Clark at 402-350-5003.