An Integrated Approach to Managing Fly Pests in Dairy Calf Greenhouses
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House flies, Musca domestica, and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans, are both extremely important dairy cattle pests in New York. House flies transmit diseases and are annoying, while stable flies inflict a painful bite causing weight loss and discomfort to animals. Both of these flies have the potential to move from the farm to neighboring homes creating legal challenges and extremely poor community relations. Large, plastic covered, half-hoop structures, resembling greenhouses used for holding large numbers of calves are beginning to replace individual calf hutches on New York dairy farms. The benefits of using these atructures are numerous (easier animal handling, healthier calves, and easier cleanup), however, there is also the potential for buildup of large numbers of fly pests. Until recently, we have not had the opportunity to critically evaluate the effectiveness of our dairy fly IPM program recommendations in these facilities. Additionally, this on-farm project enabled us to evaluate our fly management recommendations and provide us with a means to solicit grower feedback and suggestions in “real time.”