Come Rain or Shine: Altosid® IGR Field Study

Much like the weather, fly populations can be a bit unpredictable during certain times of year. That’s often been the case with horn flies on pasture cattle, as populations have been known to rise after heavy rainfall events. This has created some mild concerns as producers question whether their feed-through fly control products are working effectively. To learn more, we sent our team to into the field to see the effect heavy rainfall has on Altosid® IGR.

After conducting a study on various regions throughout the country, our team of experts came back with the same conclusion: heavy rainfall events can lead to a brief spike in horn fly numbers among cattle being treated with Altosid® IGR, but all fly populations in the study returned to their normal levels of control within 1-2 weeks.

While this information alone can be comforting, we wanted to provide treatment tips to help producers plan for and address these population spikes. Following these recommendations can work as an insurance against rising fly populations after heavy rainfall events.

• ·  Monitor your local weather forecast to better predict when to begin treatments for each season.
• ·  If you are already feeding Altosid® IGR and notice fly populations exceeding the economic threshold following a rainfall event, knockdown adult fly populations with a spray such as Prolate/Lintox HDTM Insecticidal Spray and Backrubber from Starbar® Products.
• ·  Continue feeding Altosid® IGR! The product is still working to provide effective horn fly control, and should limit populations to their expected levels within a few weeks of the rain.
• ·  Remember to feed Altosid® IGR all the way through the season and 30 days after the last frost. This helps producers account for the unpredictability of the seasons and help limit the overwintering flies that will jumpstart the population the following spring.

Altosid® IGR delivers effective horn fly control that producers have relied upon for nearly 50 years. While heavy rainfall may produce a brief uptick in horn fly numbers, producers that weather the storm and continue feeding Altosid® IGR can help keep their cattle healthy and profitable all season long.

For more content like this, check out the latest issue of the Cooperator.