Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The results generated in this study added considerable data to our fly integrated management options for dairy and beef cattle producers across the US. By developing practical and cost effective control tactics, such as novel insecticides, used as both baits and sprays and insecticide-treated targets, biological fly control agents such as dung beetles and parasitoids, and fly traps, cattle producers (both conventional and organic) are surely more apt to accept their use. The driving force in our research and extension program is producer adoption. We continue to work toward innovative, practical, ecologically sound integrated solutions that will enable producers to cost effectively manage their fly pest populations. We have also worked most diligently in presenting this confinement and pasture fly IPM information to our stakeholders through a variety of outreach methods, including webinars, workshops, vet clinic producer meetings, on farm presentations, travel days with veterinarians, fact sheets, guides, and one on one interactions with producers and veterinarians, etc. We also continue to update and increase the knowledge base available to our producers through our web site. The "Arthropod ID" component of this site has exceptionally valuable information for dairy/livestock producers looking to correctly identify their fly pest and to develop a proper, cost effective pest management program for it. PARTICIPANTS: All of the research conducted in this project would not have been possible without the stellar support of our Cornell Cooperative Extension field staff who identified potential collaborating dairy producers across NY for us to conduct our veterinary entomology research and the hundreds of NY dairy producers who most generously allowed us to conduct this research on their farms. Our stakeholder support for our veterinary entomology research and extension efforts was most heartening. TARGET AUDIENCES: We have worked most diligently in presenting this confinement and pasture fly IPM information to our stakeholders, our conventional and organic dairy and beef cattle producers, through a variety of outreach methods, including webinars, workshops, vet clinic producer meetings, on farm presentations, travel days with veterinarians, fact sheets, guides, and one on one interactions with producers and veterinarians, etc. We also continue to update and increase the knowledge base available to our producers through our web site. The "Arthropod ID" component of this site has exceptionally valuable information for dairy/livestock producers looking to correctly identify their fly pest and to develop a proper, cost effective pest management program for it. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
We had most encouraging but somewhat mixed results while using insecticide-treated black/blue cloth targets for stable fly management on pastures, but we anticipate that their effectiveness would be improved by both better target placement and by increasing the number of the treated-targets used per pasture. An extensive study was conducted on NY dairy farms to determine the effectiveness of a new Beauveria bassianna product (baLence) for controlling house flies in both stanchion barns and calf coveralls. The results of this study were most disappointing as no impact on fly populations was detected. Therefore, the use of baLence for control of flies on dairies in both stanchion and calf coveralls cannot be recommended at this time. The Horse Pal trap does show considerable promise for stable fly control, particularly if placed around the animal housing facilities. The Epps trap was also very effective in catching horse flies on pasture. We also determined that we had extensive indigenous populations of dung beetles on our conventional and organic dairy cattle pastures in NY. Our parasitoid release studies with both Muscidifurax raptor and Muscidifurax raptorellus in calf coveralls provided high levels of house fly and stable fly parasitism/mortality and are considered a very viable and cost-effective option for fly control. However, our most current 3 year study documented the advantage of releasing M. raptorellus only rather than M. raptor alone or a combination of M. raptorellus and M. raptor on New York dairy calf facilities, as supported by higher parasitism rates and lower costs (35-75%) for purchase of these gregarious wasps, as 75-80% fewer parasitized pupae are needed to achieve similar adult parasitoid levels. Many insectaries routinely sell mixtures of gregarious (M. raptorellus) and solitary (M. raptor) species in 33:66 or 50:50 ratios, respectively. In such a case, the cost would be approximately $720.00 and $450.00 for the 12 wk release period. The selection of a M. raptorellus-only purchase, could cost as little as $280.00 for the 12 wk period, a 75% decrease from a M. raptor-only release. Such reduced costs could well encourage more producers to use parasitoids as part of their IPM program. All of the fly management options mentioned above are most suitable for use on both conventional and organic dairy and beef farms. The results of all of our research studies are immediately provided to our dairy and beef cattle producers throughout the Northeast through the NYS IPM Program. Furthermore, the overall effectiveness of these fly management programs in the field are being continually reported back to us through our many contacts with the dairy industry throughout the year and refinements continue to be made as needed.
Publications
- Thomas E., D. A. Rutz & K. Waldron. 2010. Integrated Pest Management Guide for Organic Dairies. NYS IPM Pub # 323, 23pp
- Kaufman, P.E., C. Strong, J.K. Waldron and D.A. Rutz. 2012. Individual and combined releases of Muscidifurax raptor and M. raptorellus (Hymenoptera:Pteromalida) as a biological control tactic targeting house flies in dairy calf facilities. J. Med. Ent. 49(5) 1059-1066.
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Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: OUTPUTS: The strengths of our Veterinary Entomology research and extension program are IPM and technology transfer. My split appointment provides me with the exceptional opportunity to interact directly with stakeholders and work toward needed arthropod pest management solutions on dairy/livestock farms, both conventional and organic. As the only veterinary entomology program in the Northeast, we have investigated several components of confinement and pasture fly IPM, including (1) basic cultural and physical control strategies,(2) enhancement, adaptation and manipulation of biological control components (parasitoids and dung beetles),(3) effectiveness of a variety of fly traps, and (4) the effectiveness of new/novel insecticides, used as both baits and sprays. Incorporation of these components by our dairy/livestock producers has simultaneously led to drastic reductions in insecticide use, greatly reduced fly pest populations both in confinement and on pasture and their impact on animal health and production and environmental protection. The driving force in our research and extension program is producer adoption. We continue to work toward innovative, practical, ecologically sound integrated solutions that will enable producers to cost effectively manage their fly pest populations. We have also worked most diligently in presenting this confinement and pasture fly IPM information to our stakeholders through a variety of outreach methods, including webinars, workshops, vet clinic producer meetings, on farm presentations, travel days with veterinarians, factsheets, guides, and one on one interactions with producers and veterinarians, etc.. We also continue to update and increase the knowledge base available to our producers through our web site. The "Arthropod ID" component of this site has exceptionally valuable information for dairy/livestock producers looking to correctly identify their fly pest and to develop a proper, cost effective pest management program for it. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The results generated in this study continue to add considerable data to our fly integrated management options for dairy and beef cattle producers across the US. By developing practical control tactics, such as novel insecticides, used as both baits and sprays, fly traps or treated targets that are cost effective and easy to use, cattle producers are surely more apt to accept their use. Furthermore, by determining the source of stable flies, whether it is by overwintering or migration or both, we now have a much better understanding of how to best apply our stable management practices and strategies. The Horse Pal trap does show considerable promise for stable fly control, particularly if placed around the animal housing facilities. Our parasitoid release studies with both Muscidifurax raptor and Muscidifurax raptorellus in calf coveralls also continue to provided high levels of house fly and stable fly parasitism/mortality and are considered a very viable and cost-effective option for fly control. All of the fly management options mentioned above and those that are currently being developed in this project are most suitable for use on both conventional and organic dairy and beef farms. The results of all of our research studies are immediately provided to our dairy and beef cattle producers throughout the Northeast through the NYS IPM Program's expansive extension programming efforts mentioned above. Furthermore, the overall effectiveness of these fly management programs in the field are being continually reported back to us through our many contacts with the dairy industry throughout the year and refinements continue to be made as needed.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The strengths of our Veterinary Entomology research and extension program are IPM and technology transfer. My split appointment provides me with the exceptional opportunity to interact directly with stakeholders and work toward needed arthropod pest management solutions on dairy/livestock farms, both conventional and organic. As the only veterinary entomology program in the Northeast, we have investigated several components of confinement and pasture fly IPM, including (1) basic cultural and physical control strategies,(2) enhancement, adaptation and manipulation of biological control components (patasitoids and dung beetles),(3) effectiveness of a variety of fly traps, and (4) the effectiveness of new/novel insecticides, used as both baits and sprays. Incorporation of these components by our dairy/livestock producers has simultaneously led to drastic reductions in insecticide use, greatly reduced fly pest populations both in confinement and on pasture and their impact on animal health and production and environmental protection. The driving force in our research and extension program is producer adoption. We continue to work toward innovative, practical, ecologically sound integrated solutions that will enable producers to cost effectively manage their fly pest populations. We have also worked diligently on updating and increasing the knowledge base available to our producers through our web site. The "Arthropod ID" component of this site has exceptionally valuable information for dairy/livestock producers looking to correctly identify their fly pest and to develop a proper, cost effective pest management program for it. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The results generated in this study continue to add considerable data to our fly integrated management options for dairy and beef cattle producers across the US. By developing practical control tactics, such as novel insecticides, used as both baits and sprays, fly traps or treated targets that are cost effective and easy to use, cattle producers are surely more apt to accept their use. Furthermore, by determining the source of stable flies, whether it is by overwintering or migration or both, we now have a much better understanding of how to best apply our stable management practices and strategies. The Horse Pal trap does show considerable promise for stable fly control, particularly if placed around the animal housing facilities. Our parasitoid release studies with both Muscidifurax raptor and Muscidifurax raptorellus in calf coveralls also continue to provided high levels of house fly and stable fly parasitism/mortality and are considered a very viable option for fly control. All of the fly management options mentioned above and those that are currently being developed in this project are most suitable for use on both conventional and organic dairy and beef farms. The results of all of our research studies are immediately provided to our dairy and beef cattle producers throughout the Northeast through the NYS IPM Program's expansive extension programming efforts. Furthermore, the overall effectiveness of these fly management programs in the field are being continually reported back to us through our many contacts with the dairy industry throughout the year and refinements continue to be made as needed.
Publications
- Thomas E., D. A. Rutz & K. Waldron. 2010. Integrated Pest Management Guide for Organic Dairies. NYS IPM Pub # 323, 23pp
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Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: An extensive study was conducted on NY dairy farms to determine the effectiveness of a new Beauveria bassianna product (baLence) in controlling house flies in both stanchion barns and calf coveralls. The study was conducted throughout the fly breeding season on 6 farms (4 stanchion and 2 calf coveralls), starting the first week of June and continuing through mid-September. BaLence was applied at the farms initially as a bait with 5 bait stations used per farm/facility. Flies were monitored by use of sticky fly ribbons, 5 per facility. When the fly populations at any farm reached the level of an average of 200 flies per ribbon, 5 more bait stations were added at each of these facilities. If the fly populations continued to increase at any of these facilities, a baLence spray application was made once per week. If the populations still continued to rise, an additional spray application was made weekly. This resulted with some facilities receiving baLence applications of 10 bait stations and 2 sprays per week. The results of this study will be disseminated in talks presented at extension meetings and conferences throughout NY over the next several months. As this product is also approved for use in organic dairy operations, these results will be presented to both conventional and organic audiences. PARTICIPANTS: Keith Waldron Livestock/Field Crops Coordinator for the NYS IPM Program was a collaborator on this project. Six dairy farmers in both Tompkins and Cayuga counties provided the facilities for this research to be conducted. These same farmers allowed us to use their facilities for the 2008 study as well. TARGET AUDIENCES: Our target audiences include both conventional and organic dairy farmers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The results of this study were most disappointing as no impact on fly populations was detected on any of the 6 study farms. In fact the populations at all farms increased throughout the study with the "natural" fall decline bringing about the only reduction in fly populations. These results were very similar to what we observed in 2008 when we used only baLence bait stations at the rate of 10 per facility. It was hoped that the addition of 2 baLence spray applications would improved on the overall effectiveness of the product. Unfortunately, this did not occur. Therefore, at this point in time the jury is still out on the overall effectiveness of the use of baLence for control of flies on dairies in both stanchion and calf coveralls.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: In 2008 we conducted an extensive study to determine the effectiveness of a new and most promising fly bait, balEnce, containing the fly pathogen, Beauveria bassiana, in controlling house flies in both dairy calf coveralls and dairy stanchion barns in New York. We conducted limited research with this bait in 2007 with most promising results. Unfortunately, however, the results of our research with this product, conducted in 2008 on nine dairy farms, were very disappointing. As a result, the manufacturer of the product was asked to come to NY midway through the study to determine what was causing the lack of fly control. After spending a day in the field with us, their conclusion was that the method they recommended for dispensing the bait was very ineffective. This has resulted in the development of a new dispensing system that hopefully will result in more flies coming in contact with the bait and then spreading the "fly" disease throughout the facility. Additional studies are being planned for 2009. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: All of the fly management options mentioned above and those that are currently being developed in this project are most suitable for use on both conventional and organic dairy and beef farms. The results of all of our research studies are immediately provided to our dairy and beef cattle producers through our and the NYS IPM Program's expansive extension programming efforts. Furthermore, the overall effectiveness of these fly management programs in the field are being continually reported back to us through our many contacts with the dairy industry throughout the year and refinements are made as needed. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The results generated in this study continue to add considerable data to our fly integrated management options for dairy and beef cattle producers across the US. By developing practical control tactics, such as fly traps or treated targets that are cost effective and easy to use, cattle producers are surely more apt to accept their use. We have had most encouraging but somewhat mixed results while using the Foil treated targets for stable fly management on pastures, but we hope to improve on target efficacy by both better treated target placement and by increasing the number of the targets used per pasture. Furthermore, by determining the source of stable flies, whether it is by overwintering or migration or both, we now have a much better understanding of how to best apply our stable management practices and strategies. The Horse Pal trap does show considerable promise for stable fly control, particularly if placed around the animal housing facilities. Our parasitoid release studies with both Muscidifurax raptor and Muscidifurax raptorellus in calf coveralls also continue to provided high levels of house fly and stable fly parasitism/mortality and are considered a very viable option for fly control. In addition, our fly baiting studies are being refined to enhance fly attractiveness to the bait that, hopefully, will result in a more rapid spread of the "fly" disease throughout the animal holding facilities. All of the fly management options mentioned above and those that are currently being developed in this project are most suitable for use on both conventional and organic dairy and beef farms. The results of all of our research studies are immediately provided to our dairy and beef cattle producers through our and the NYS IPM Program's expansive extension programming efforts. Furthermore, the overall effectiveness of these fly management programs in the field are being continually reported back to us through our many contacts with the dairy industry throughout the year and refinements are made as needed.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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