Livestock insect control is a key element in good care of livestock. Many infectious diseases can be spread by insects, and reducing the presence of insects can not only make your livestock happier, it can keep your animals healthier as well. Livestock insect control can be achieved through many different forms. Some common forms are insecticides on animals, insecticides in barn areas, and non-insecticide insect traps.

Insecticides in powder form can be placed in dust bags that animals then walk under on a daily basis, for an easy application of insecticide directly on the livestock. Liquid insecticides can also be applied directly to the bodies of livestock, by mixing the insecticides with mineral oil and using the mixture to fill backrubbers that are placed near the livestock’s water or food areas. The animals rub against these backrubbers, effectively applying themselves with insecticide. Specially-made tags that are treated with insecticides designed to repel flies that commonly affect the face and head area of livestock can be very effective.

Livestock insect control inside barn areas begins with proper sanitation. The cleaner these areas are, the fewer flies will accumulate. Insecticides can take the form of residual sprays that linger on surfaces, or non-residual sprays that are sprayed in open spaces. Manure sprays and food additives, which treat the insect larvae in manure, as well as insect bait are also commonly used for livestock insect control within barn areas.

With any insecticides, it is important to read all label instructions carefully and only use the product as it is intended by the manufacturer. Most insecticides intended for use in barn areas should not come into direct contact with the livestock. Animals should never be sprayed directly with residual or non-residual insecticide sprays, and insect bait should only be used where it is securely out of reach of the livestock.

A non-insecticidal form of livestock insect control is the use of insect traps that remove flies and other insects form the bodies of the livestock. These traps must be positioned at the entrances to the barn, in locations that the livestock pass through several times a day. The traps are constructed so that the livestock pass through a tunnel-like structure, and the insects are swept from their bodies and brushed into the confined sides of the trap. Unable to escape, the insects soon die in the trap. Depending on the types of insects in the trap, the trap may need to be cleaned regularly; in many cases, scavenger insects within the trap survive and eat the trapped flies.

Livestock insect control is important in controlling potentially serious diseases that can affect your livestock. By minimizing the animals’ exposure to flies and other insects, you are also reducing their risk of contracting communicable diseases.