It is best to start releasing Fly
Parasites in outdoor settings as soon as the first flies
start emerging. Some flies always survive the winter and
it is much easier to gain control at this stage rather
than waiting until the fly population is well
established. In heated barns such as those for hogs, egg
layers and other cyclic operations, Fly Parasites can be
introduced at any time, but it is most cost effective to
introduce them after the barns have been cleaned out.
This usually coincides with the introduction new
animals.
Fly parasites are shipped while they are
developing inside of a fly pupa. Each of the fly pupae
looks like a dark grain of rice and it is amazing to
think that when the fly parasites have matured, they
will emerge from the pupae and start hunting down fly
pupae in your barn. When you receive a bag of fly
parasites, you will notice that a few have hatched and
are crawling around. It is best to release the Fly
Parasites as soon as possible, however they can be kept
at 5-10 degrees Celsius for a few days if necessary.
There are a couple of methods to release
the fly parasites to maximize their effectiveness. For
releases on manure piles, it is best to scratch a
shallow (2.5 cm or 1” deep) trench along the perimeter
of the pile. Spread the fly parasites in the trench and
cover with about 1cm (1/2”) of manure. This covering
will protect the hatching parasites from predators such
as birds or rodents. The fly parasites can burrow up to
about 6” into the manure looking for fly pupae so they
have no trouble in emerging from a 1” trench. If
predators are not a problem, the fly parasites can be
sprinkled directly on top of the manure or compost.
Another popular release method is to
make a small bag out of door screening and to put some
of the fly parasites into this bag and hang it in your
barn where animals cannot reach it. The screening should
be big enough for the emerging fly parasites to pass
through but small enough so the fly pupae cannot fall
through. You can see some of the little wasps when they
arrive and can then determine the right size of
screening.
The question always is—how many Fly
Parasites do I need? This depends on three factors. The
first consideration is how good are the sanitation
practices and how is the manure handled. If the manure
is wide spread, it will be much harder to gain fly
control than if it is contained in a pile. The second
consideration is the amount of manure that is produced
and this is a function of the number and size of the
livestock. The final consideration is the tolerance
level of the individual. Nobody wants flies but the
spectrum can be from a high tolerance level to the
acceptance of only a few flies. A good starting
guideline is to gauge 1000 Fly Parasites per large
animal (horses), 500 per small animal (sheep, alpacas)
and 6 per bird every two weeks. Normally it is
recommended that the first two shipments be twice the
normal shipments in order to build up the Fly Parasite
population quicker and get more effective control. The
number of Fly Parasites required can also be influenced
by the weather, with a possible decrease needed in cool
or dry conditions and a few more may be needed in warm
and humid conditions.
Please call us for a no obligation discussion on a
customized fly control program. We are not after a fast
sell, but rather we hope to have a long-term satisfied
customer. Our business has grown across Canada virtually by
word of mouth and we welcome all enquires. Our commitment to
you is to create the BEST, MOST ECONOMICAL AND LONG-TERM
BIOLOGICAL FLY CONTROL PROGRAM
