Walk-Through Trap Wipes Flies Off Cattle
A 1930’s vintage walk-through fly trap is providing fly relief for cattle on Linda Simmons’ South Dakota ranch. The 10-ft. tunnel has a solid top and double-walled screens on the sides. It works so well she no longer has to use her ATV-mounted sprayer for fly control and has reduced her use of insecticide in the cattle’s minerals.
“The cattle walk through the darkened interior where carpet and canvas strips or even blankets brush the flies off,” explains Simmons. “The flies are drawn to the light coming through the screens.”
Holes punched in the screens allow flies to enter but they are unable to leave and return to the cows. Simmons followed plans found on the University of Missouri website (extension2.missouri.edu/G1195#works). However, she already has ideas for revisions.
“I think opening the trap up with a peaked roof of Plexiglas would catch flies that head for the roof, not just the sides,” she says. “I’m also looking for long bristle brushes to remove flies from the legs and bellies. It works well this way, but I think it can be made even more effective.”
Simmons estimates the trap catches about 40 to 50 percent of horn and face flies. During the first 2 years of use, she walked her herd through the trap when the fly population reached the economic threshold of 200 flies per animal. She used it 6 times the first year. By the third year her fly population had fallen such that she only used it twice.
“I think with the improvements, I could catch 75 percent of the flies,” she says.
Simmons runs 104 cow/calf pairs on rotational grazing with the installed fly trap. She has a second conventional pasture that holds stockers and hopes to put a second trap there. Construction of the first one cost a little over $800 for materials and around $3,000 for labor.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Linda Simmons, 14313 469th Ave., Twin Brooks, S. Dak. 57269 (ph 605 432-6099; uplandlowland@hotmail.com).
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Walk-Through Trap Wipes Flies Off Cattle LIVESTOCK Beef A 1930’s vintage walk-through fly trap is providing fly relief for cattle on Linda Simmons’ South Dakota ranch The 10-ft tunnel has a solid top and double-walled screens on the sides It works so well she no longer has to use her ATV-mounted sprayer for fly control and has reduced her use of insecticide in the cattle’s minerals “The cattle walk through the darkened interior where carpet and canvas strips or even blankets brush the flies off ” explains Simmons “The flies are drawn to the light coming through the screens ” Holes punched in the screens allow flies to enter but they are unable to leave and return to the cows Simmons followed plans found on the University of Missouri website extension2 missouri edu/G1195#works However she already has ideas for revisions “I think opening the trap up with a peaked roof of Plexiglas would catch flies that head for the roof not just the sides ” she says “I’m also looking for long bristle brushes to remove flies from the legs and bellies It works well this way but I think it can be made even more effective ” Simmons estimates the trap catches about 40 to 50 percent of horn and face flies During the first 2 years of use she walked her herd through the trap when the fly population reached the economic threshold of 200 flies per animal She used it 6 times the first year By the third year her fly population had fallen such that she only used it twice “I think with the improvements I could catch 75 percent of the flies ” she says Simmons runs 104 cow/calf pairs on rotational grazing with the installed fly trap She has a second conventional pasture that holds stockers and hopes to put a second trap there Construction of the first one cost a little over $800 for materials and around $3 000 for labor Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Linda Simmons 14313 469th Ave Twin Brooks S Dak 57269 ph 605 432-6099; uplandlowland@hotmail com
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