Air March 2, 2005

Thank you Jerry, and good morning everyone. Well, it may be up for discussion, but I feel that March came in like a Lion, so we'll expect a quite departure in about 4 weeks! Remember that Cattleman's Day is at K-State's Weber Arena this Friday, March 4th. If you did not pre-register it'll cost you $25 at the door, but well worth every penny and that does include lunch!

Before you know it, spring will be here and with it will come stable flies around the livestock operation. These blood feeders are certainly not normally thought to be a big a problem in pastures, as they are around facilities and feedlots but they can easily be a big problem. And why I'm talking about stable flies in early March is because recent studies at K-State have identified winter feeding sites of hay in big round bales as a main breeding ground for stable flies, even in pastures. The reason is very simple, the wasted hay and manure that collects at these sites, combines with moisture and mild temperatures and the result is a wonderful brew to grow lots of stable flies. Researchers have found as many as 364 stable flies emerging per squre foot at these feeding sites. And when it only takes five stable flies per leg to cause economic loss on cattle, that's a problem! Stable fly production peaks in May and early June, so sanitation of these feeding sites is required by April 15th. During the remainder of the feeding season here are some techniques to help minimize the problem. Continually move the feeder so you don't get exessive accumulation of residue and manure at any one spot. Roll hay out in different locations around the pasture. Avoid using poor quality or rotted hay that won't be eaten. It just increases the residue for the flies to breed in. Grind hay to avoid sorting by the animals which increases waste. Avoid overfeeding to reduce the amount that is trampled into the ground. And feed in well drained areas where water does not collect. After the feeding season you have two basic options. First, scrape up all the residue, pile it and compost it. The composting action creates heat that kills the fecal bacteria which is what the fly larvae actually feed on. Option 2, if the residue is dry enough, burn it when you burn pastures. If it is a wet year, like this has started out, then go back to composting. We'll always have flies, but good management results in fewer flies!

This is Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent, with Ag Outlook 2005.

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