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Funded Project

Funding Program: Regional IPM Grants (S-RIPM)

Project Title: Developing New Techniques To Use in the Integrated Pest Management of Stable Flies

Project Director (PD): Lane Foil [1]

Lead State: LA Lead Organization: Louisiana State University

Cooperating State(s): Florida

Undesignated Funding: $156,457

Start Date: Apr-01-2010 End Date: Mar-31-2013

Summary: This is a multistate research project to develop integrated approaches to serve the needs for livestock producers to control the impact of stable flies attacking their animals. The primary economic benefits derived from the proposed project would be the livestock producers who suffer the estimated $500 million of the annual losses caused by stable flies to the cattle and horse industries in the Southern Region. In certain objectives, we will use electrocution techniques developed with SR-IPM funding (May 2003-2006) and use to show proof of concept for using treated targets for stable fly control. We propose studies to establish optimal color and spatial orientation for use of treated targets to reduce stable fly attack of pastured cattle. Using markcapture techniques, will determine the percentage of flies emerging from larval habitats that can be controlled with treated targets or by physically covering the habitats. We propose to use cloth targets with alsynite traps around pastures of different sizes with and without cattle to estimate the number of treated targets needed to impact populations of stable flies closely associated with cattle. We also would compare the efficacy of sprays, treated targets and the two methods combined in a push-pull strategy for controlling adult stable flies. By the end of the three year project, we will be able to provide comparative evaluations on the relative efficacy, cost, and required amount of insecticides for three types of larval habitat control and two types of control of the adult flies that feed on cattle. Objectives: Objective 1: Establish optimal color and spatial orientation for treated targets and the use of alsynite traps plus targets as a surveillance tool. Objective 2: Evaluate the potential for using treated targets and physical barriers for the control of flies emerging at larval habitats. Objective 3: Compare the efficacy of weekly low and high volume topical application of cattle with insecticides for providing partial control of stable flies that attack cattle. Objective 4: Estimate the number of treated targets needed to impact the fly population associated with cattle in different sizes of pastures. Objective 5: Compare the efficacy of the use of sprays (push), treated targets (pull) and sprays plus treated targets (push-pull) for protecting cattle from stable fly attack. Objective 6: Compare the effects of treated targets on the stable fly attack of cattle using four treated targets for three pasture sizes.

Final Report:

Results From report submitted by the PI to USDA CRIS report system PROGRESS: 2010/07 TO 2011/06 OUTPUTS: We conducted a series of studies to determine appropriate targets and target placement for achieving stable fly control with treated targets. We conducted an electric grid study to compare the attraction of solid blue and solid black cloth targets to our standard blue/black (UK) target. The electric targets were compared using a Latin square design. In each of four weeks from 14 March - 12 April 2011, the three targets were placed at least 70 m apart and rotated among the sites until 1 hour assays were completed for each treatment at each site. Overall, the mean number of flies collected per hour was 111 for blue, 220 for black, and 221 for blue/black. There were no differences in time of assay, location, or treatment when analyzed using GLM. We also used electric grid studies to determine if the height that targets were placed above ground influenced the number of flies collected. Two electric targets were compared at two heights; the high grid was 1 M above ground level and the low grid was at ground level. During the study, each grid occurred in each of the two locations five times. The average number of flies per hour collected with the high target was 26 while the average for the low target (181) was significantly higher (ANOVA; p=0.0319). We conducted studies to determine the number of targets per acre that would be required to kill stable flies closely associated with cattle. We used three noncontiguous pastures and adjusted the size of the pastures using electric fencing. For each replicate, the cattle occurred in the three different pastures three different periods, and the pasture was a different size every period that the cattle were present. There were two trials, and cattle occurred in each pasture size three times in each trial. In the first trial, the pastures were 1, 2, and 3 acres, and in the second trial the pastures were 3, 4, and 5 acres. The number of flies caught with 4 alsynite traps with blue/black targets (ATUK) was compared between pastures with or without cattle present. We found that the presence of cattle had a significant effect on the number of stable flies collected when pastures were 1-3 acres, but the presence of cattle had no effect when the pastures were 4-5 acres. The mean number of flies collected on the ATUK when cattle were present was 3.3, 2.2, and 3.3-fold higher than the mean number of flies collected when cattle were absent for the 1, 2, and 3 acre pastures, respectively. We conducted a preliminary study on protection of cattle from stable fly attack using treated targets. There were 4 five acre pastures each with 5 heifers; following pretreatment counts, 6 control targets and 6 treated targets were placed around two of the pastures, respectively. The targets were set and the number of flies on the heifers and the defensive behavior of the heifers were recorded 3, 5, and 7 days later. The treatments were reversed on week two. There were no differences in flies per animal among pastures pretreatment. In both weeks, the number of flies per animal and the number of stomps per group were lower for treated targets PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. IMPACT: 2010/07 TO 2011/06 Our electric grid studies revealed no differences in the number of stable flies that land on blue, black, or blue/black targets when compared weekly over a one month period. This study will be repeated in 2012 over a longer period and also compared to a study using targets and alsynite traps. The data from 2011 indicate that a solid black 1sqm target would be as efficient as a blue/black treated cloth target for stable fly control. The implications are major for the potential acceptability of using treated targets for stable fly control for cattle producers. The construction of the blue/black target requires sewing, while a single colored target can be assembled with little preparation. Our studies have shown that at least between 350 and 450 stable flies per hour (between 3,000 and 4,000 flies per day) can be killed using a treated target that is randomly placed in pastures on cattle farms during stable fly season. However, our study comparing the catch of UK grids near and away from cattle showed that the grids caught 4.3 times more flies when near cattle. These data indicate that randomly placed targets will not be as effective as targets strategically placed around cattle. Our studies comparing pasture size and the presence or absence of cattle showed that four targets can be used for pastures up the 3 acres in size containing cattle to achieve a 3-fold increase in the number of flies captured, and presumably be more efficient in protecting cattle from stable fly attack. Regarding placement for maximum efficiency, we found that treated targets that are placed around cattle for stable fly control should be placed at ground level. The significance of this finding is that treated targets will have to be placed outside of fence rows or other areas protected from cattle physical damage. In our preliminary study, we showed that the defensive behavior of heifers in the form of stomping of the front legs was reduced by over 50% when 6 treated targets were placed around 5 acre pastures. The results of this study indicate that treated cloth targets will be a viable addition for stable fly control programs. Protecting growing cattle from moderate stable fly infestations has been shown to result in approximately 50 pounds of additional weight gain over a 100 day period, which could result in a sixty dollar difference per head in today's market.

Outcomes N/A

Impacts From report submitted by the PI to USDA CRIS report system Our electric grid studies revealed no differences in the number of stable flies that land on blue, black, or blue/black targets when compared weekly over a one month period. This study will be repeated in 2012 over a longer period and also compared to a study using targets and alsynite traps. The data from 2011 indicate that a solid black 1sqm target would be as efficient as a blue/black treated cloth target for stable fly control. The implications are major for the potential acceptability of using treated targets for stable fly control for cattle producers. The construction of the blue/black target requires sewing, while a single colored target can be assembled with little preparation. Our studies have shown that at least between 350 and 450 stable flies per hour (between 3,000 and 4,000 flies per day) can be killed using a treated target that is randomly placed in pastures on cattle farms during stable fly season. However, our study comparing the catch of UK grids near and away from cattle showed that the grids caught 4.3 times more flies when near cattle. These data indicate that randomly placed targets will not be as effective as targets strategically placed around cattle. Our studies comparing pasture size and the presence or absence of cattle showed that four targets can be used for pastures up the 3 acres in size containing cattle to achieve a 3-fold increase in the number of flies captured, and presumably be more efficient in protecting cattle from stable fly attack. Regarding placement for maximum efficiency, we found that treated targets that are placed around cattle for stable fly control should be placed at ground level. The significance of this finding is that treated targets will have to be placed outside of fence rows or other areas protected from cattle physical damage. In our preliminary study, we showed that the defensive behavior of heifers in the form of stomping of the front legs was reduced by over 50% when 6 treated targets were placed around 5 acre pastures. The results of this study indicate that treated cloth targets will be a viable addition for stable fly control programs. Protecting growing cattle from moderate stable fly infestations has been shown to result in approximately 50 pounds of additional weight gain over a 100 day period, which could result in a sixty dollar difference per head in today's market.

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