biological control of filth flies for livestock operations

Biological Control of Filth Flies for Biological Control of Filth Flies for Livestock OperationsLivestock Operations

Erika Machtinger


•Brief discussion on filth fly problems in livestock operations•Review of house and stable flies•IPM•Biological Control•Parasitoids

•Current Research


•Many, many different types of pests•Focus on two main types in livestock operations•House flies•Stable flies

•Problem •Cause Disease•Annoyance•Loss of physical condition•Injury•Long dispersal flights


•Musca domestica and Stomoxys calcitrans•Habitat•Feeding•Population Dynamics


•Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program•Seeks to maximize the effectiveness, conserving beneficial insects and minimizing pesticide use•Pest identification and monitoring•Controlling filth flies•Traps•Insecticides•Cultural control•Biological control


• Three types of biological control• Conservation • Supplementing with food, habitat or other

resources to maintain natural enemies

• Classical Biological • Introduction of natural enemies to a new locale

where they did not originate or do not occur naturally.

• Augmentation• Supplemental release of natural enemies.


•Biological Control•Nature can help in the battle against flies by providing natural enemies•predatory beetles and mites, •parasitic wasps, and •fly pathogens


•Parasitic wasps •Tiny•Harmless to humans•Effective in the right conditions•Wasps are commercially available•Life cycle


•Filth Fly Research with IPM Florida•Other systems well known•Horses contribute substantially to the economy in Florida

•Ranchettes are a fast growing sector of real estate

•Horse owners do not act like small for-profit farm owners


•Focus is on small equestrian farms (ranchettes)•Common in Florida•3-10 acres•About 2 horses/acre•Mostly pasture, may have run in sheds/barns


•Goals•Increase the knowledge of the biology of filth flies and their associated natural parasitoids on equine mini farms in north Florida •Produce educational and extension materials


•Objectives•Determine levels of filth fly breeding on equestrian mini farms.

•Differentiate between migrant adult stable flies and those that result from breeding on-site.

•Determine natural filth fly parasitoid species composition and percent parasitism.

•Produce educational materials to increase awareness of control for filth flies on equine mini farms in north Florida.


•The study•Six comparable sites located in Alachua county•Management protocols•Samples for adults (traps) and pupae (trowel) conducted weekly •Individually stored•Emerged parasitoids identified•Percent parasitism will be determined


•Control•What can we do with this information? •What methods would be most effective if breeding is occurring on site? •What if it is emigration?

•What could cause a difference in breeding on site vs. emigration?

biological control of filth flies for livestock operations

Documents

biology of filth flies

natural filth

filth fly problems

livestock operationsfocus

livestock operationsmany

awareness of control

migrant adult stable

equine mini farms