Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Members of the S1076 multi-state committee (Fly Management in Animal Agriculture Systems and Impacts on Animal Health and Food Safety), other scientists and professionals. Cattle producers, veterinarians, and other Extension clients in Nebraska and elsewhere. Students being trained in field entomology, data collection and analysis, and writing/reporting. Changes/Problems:Because of covid 19 restrictions: 1. Field trials scheduled to be done in Florida by USDA ARS CMAVE personnel were not accomplished. In response, we ran additional series of trials in Nebraska. 2. Bioassay and other trials planned to be done by the Nebraska USDA ARS AMRU were limited. 3. Training of undergraduate students in field ecology and integrated pest management was not allowed some summers. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Over the course of this project, we trained one to two undergraduate students in economic entomology and field ecology during summer field seasons without Covid 19 restrictions and graduated one MS student. The graduate student is now employed by the Maryland department of natural resources and is teaching biology at a community college. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In extension meetings and through extension outputs, cattle producers are being informed of the push-pull strategy and trap results and are requesting information on how to obtain and use traps to manage stable flies on their herds. Producers are also expressing interest in the availability and use of the biopesticide tested. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Push-Pull Field Trials. We tested a stable fly management strategy consisting of weekly applications of a "push" fatty acid biopesticide and use of "pull" stable fly traps in pasture conditions in Nebraska. We found that the push-pull strategy reduced stable fly populations on cattle as well as a weekly application of permethrin, a standard insecticide used for stable fly control. We also found that the longevity period of the push-pull and permethrin treatments were equivalent. The stable fly traps were visually attractive to stable flies and included an attractant lure to further increase capture rates. Trap efficacy was estimated to contribute an estimated 17 to 21 percent of the overall on-animal fly reduction of the push-pull strategy. Based on our results using four traps per pasture, more traps, especially in high fly load years, would have increased the overall efficacy of the push-pull strategy. Our results are the first proof of concept field trial demonstrating the effectiveness of a push-pull strategy using a starch coconut oil fatty acid-based repellent formulation and traps with an attractant lure to manage stable flies on pasture cattle. Push-Pull Economic Analysis. Economic analysis of the push-pull strategy to manage stable flies on pasture cattle is on-going. Trap Improvement Trials FIELD TRIALS. The standard trap used in the push-pull field trials was a white tube with an attractive sticky wrap and an olfactory lure. Variations on this design, such as modification of the tube with black striping, testing of lure doses, and modifying the lure septa size to affect release rate were tested in field trials over years. We found that none of the variations tested consistently improved trap capture rates. Therefore, at this time we recommend continued use of the standard trap as tested in the push-pull field trials. Guidelines for placement, distance between traps, and number of traps used per area and with respect to fly population levels and innovations in lure dosages and components to improve efficacy are needed. Trap options such as using a long-lasting insecticide treated cloth or panels instead of sticky wraps may reduce costs and management time. Stable fly traps, especially improved traps, may be an effective management option for some cattle production systems. LURE DEVELOPMENT. m-cresol and 2-phenylethanol lures developed in lab bioassays were found attractive to stable flies searching for oviposition sites in field conditions.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Lehamnn, A., G. Brewer, D. Boxler, J. Zhu, K. Hanford, D. Taylor, J. Kenar, S. Cermak, and J. Hogsette. A push-pull strategy to suppress stable fly (Diptera: Muscidae) attacks on pasture cattle via a coconut oil fatty acid repellent formulation and traps with m-cresol lures. J. Pest Management Science.
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Members of the S1076 multi-state committee (Fly Management in Animal Agriculture Systems and Impacts on Animal Health and Food Safety), other scientists and professionals. Cattle producers, veterinarians, and other Extension clients in Nebraska and elsewhere. Students being trained in field entomology, data collection and analysis, and writing/reporting. Changes/Problems:Because of covid 19 restrictions, field trials scheduled to be done in Florida by USDA CMAVE personnel were not accomplished. In response, we ran and additional series of trials in Nebraska. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A MS graduate student and a summer student were trained in entomology, integrated pest management, data entry, cattle handling and in conducting field studies of pasture fly ecology and management in Great Plains conditions. Research restrictions due to covid 19 did not allow us to include undergraduate students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In extension meetings, Nebraska cattle producers are being informed of our trap results and are requesting information on how to obtain and use KS traps to manage stable flies on their herds. Producer's are also experssing interest on the availabiltiy and use of a stable fly repellent. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?An economic analysis comparing the push-pull design to insecticide management of stable flies on pasture cattle will be done in 2022.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal: develop and test a multi-tactic IPM system employing a Push-Pull design to control stable flies on cattle in large pastures common to the Great Plains and other locations and to increase animal comfort, wellbeing, and productivity. Push-Pull Field Trials. The final field season was completed in 2020. In 2020-2021 we completed data analysis and prepared a paper for publication in 2022. Major findings are: 1. Weekly applications of a stable fly repellent had similar efficacy and effective longevity periods as weekly insecticide applications to cattle in pasture settings in reducing on-animal fly loads. 2. Push-pull and permethrin treatments significantly reduced fly loads compared to fly loads on control cattle. 3. Push-pull and permethrin treatments did not differ significantly across study years even though mean study year fly loads varied by an order of magnitude. 4. Cattle average daily weight gain was probably reduced in years with a high fly load but not in the low fly load year. 5. Stable fly control on pasture cattle using a repellent offers producers a low-cost, efficacious replacement to a standard insecticide for reducing stable fly load. Other advantages include an expected low cost, low mammalian toxicity, environmental safety (the repellent is "generally regarded as safe" (GRAS) by the US Environmental Protection Agency), and an alternative product that can be used in an insecticide resistance management program. 6. Traps used as the "Pull" components of the push-pull strategy were efficacious in trapping stable flies. However, trap contribution to on-animal fly load remains uncertain and needs further study. 7. Improved delivery systems are needed to treat cattle to minimize animal stress and management time and costs. In conclusion, we are reporting on the first use of a push-pull integrated pest management strategy to manage stable flies and only the second application to a Muscid fly (African tsetse flies). As such, it represents a low-impact alternative to conventional insecticides for management of stable flies on pastured cattle. Trap Improvement Trials The standard trap used in the push-pull field trails was a white tube with an attractive sticky wrap and an olfactory lure. Variations on this design, such as modification of the tube with black striping, testing various lure doses, and modifying the lure septa size to affect release rate were tested in field trials over years. We found that none of the variations tested consistently improved trap capture rates. Therefore, we recommend continued use of the standard trap as tested. Other testing needs to be done on trap placement, distance between traps, and number of traps needed. Another trap design to be tested would replace the sticky wrap with a long-lasting (seasonal) insecticide treatment to eliminate the need for frequent sticky wrap replacement. Future innovations in the lure could include different compounds or blends of attractive compounds.
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Lehmann, A. L. 2021. Use of attractant and repellent semiochemicals to manage stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans (L.)) populations on pastured cattle using a push-pull strategy. MS Thesis. University of Nebraska.
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Members of the S1076 multi-state committee (Fly Management in Animal Agriculture Systems and Impacts on Animal Health and Food Safety), other scientists and professionals. Cattle producers, veterinarians and other Extension clients in Nebraska and elsewhere. Students. Changes/Problems:Because of covid 19 research restrictions we were not able to include undergraduate research trainees during the 2020 summer field season. Dry weather during the 2020 summer fly season reduced stable fly numbers and shortened the research period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A MS graduate student was trained in entomology, integrated pest management, data entry, cattle handling and in conducting field studies of pasture fly ecology and management in Great Plains conditions. Research restrictions due to covid 19 did not allow us to include undergraduate students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In extension meetings, Nebraska cattle producers are being informed of our trap results and are requesting information on how to obtain and use KS traps to manage stable flies on their herds. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Data from the 2020 summer field trials will be compiled, analyzed and reported at the S1076 multistate meeting in January 2020. A paper presentation will be made at the Entomological Society of America annual meeting. We will initiate the final year of field trials for the push-pull study and further trap improvement testing will be done in Florida and Nebraska. We will continue discovery and lab testing of attractants and repellents for use in traps and the push-pull strategy. We anticipate publication of two journal articles.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Field Trials - Seasonal Results. In 2019, field trials were done in Nebraska to test the ability of a fatty-acid repellent to reduce fly load (mean stable flies per animal) compared to untreated control cattle and cattle treated with a standard insecticide (permethrin). Stable fly numbers per animal in control, permethrin and repellent treated herds moved up and down in synchrony through the 5-week repeated measures trial. Correlations between fly numbers on control and permethrin groups (r=0.76) and control and repellent groups (r=0.84) indicate there was a high ecological fidelity among pastures (environments) that affected up and down trends in fly populations regardless of treatments. Seasonal mean fly load on cattle in the control group was 38.5 and ranged from 31.5 to 47 and was statistically higher than those on cattle treated with permethrin or the repellent with values ranging from 22 to 31 flies. The repellent and permethrin treatments were not statistically different. Within Weeks. Treatments were successful in reducing fly loads through day 5 after treatment but by day 6, fly loads on control and treated cattle were similar. This suggests stable flies were redistributing across treatments as the protection provided by the repellent and permethrin waned. The results also support a need for retreatment by day 6 or 7 in our conditions. Stable fly populations in 2020 were lower than in 2019 probably due to dry conditions. Preliminary analysis of the 2020 data suggests results comparable to what was observed in 2018 and 2019. Stable Fly Trap Studies - The commercial KS trap (http://www.knightsticktraps.com/knightstick/index.htm) is visually attractive to stable flies and is easy to setup and steady in windy conditions. However, KS traps collect stable flies on a sticky wrap that needs periodic replacement as the adhesive becomes covered by flies, dust, and debris and the wraps attraction as a visual lure declines. We have been investigating approaches to increase the effectiveness of KS traps. 1. Insecticide Treated Cloth Enclosures to Prolong Sticky Wrap Longevity. We tested if surrounding the trap with a perforated cloth screen would retain the visual attraction and slow the rate of accumulation of obscuring debris on the sticky wrap. The use of insecticide impregnated cloth would further enhance stable fly management by lethally intoxicating a proportion of the flies coming to the trap. Field tests of KS traps encircled by a screen of insecticide impregnated cloth found flies becoming trapped on the sticky wrap but at reduced rates compared to traps without screens. Thus, the traps were visually attractive to stable flies but the rate of fly accumulation was slowed compared to traps without the surround. It is presumed that many flies were fatally intoxicated by the surrounds before being able to reach the sticky wrap. Consequently, KS traps with insecticidal surrounds provide fly management benefits by using two different and compatible management techniques. 2. Supplemental Volatile Attractive Lures. Earlier testing had shown that combing olfactory lures of m-cresol with KS traps will in some conditions increase trap capture totals. During the summer of 2020 traps with olfactory lures dosed with 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 3.0 mg m-cresol were compared using a Latin square design with repeated measures (days in a week). The test was repeated three times. Mean numbers of stable flies per trap was highest in replicate 1 20.4 (3.1 SE) and 3.7 (0.5 SE) and 8.2 (2.7 SE) in replicates 2 and 3. Fly captures probably declined from replicate 1 to 3 because of dry weather. Overall lure concentration did not significantly differ for flies per trap. However, traps with 1.0 mg m-cresol lures had the highest captures of stable flies (13.8 (3.4 SE)) and means ranged from 9.3 to 10.4 in the other lure concentrations. The study needs to be repeated when ambient stable fly numbers are higher to provide more consistent data collection and reduce variation among replicates.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Roh, G. H., X. Zhou, Y. Wang, S. C. Cermak, J. A. Kenar, A. Lehmann, B. Han, D. B. Taylor, X. Zeng, C. G. Park, G. J. Brewer, and J. J. Zhu. 2020. Spatial repellency, antifeedant activity and toxicity of three medium chain fatty acids and their methyl esters of coconut fatty acid against stable flies. Pest Management Science. 76: 405414. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.5574
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Members of the S1076 multi-state committee (Fly Management in Animal Agriculture Systems and Impacts on Animal Health and Food Safety), other scientists and professionals. Cattle producers, veterinarians and other Extension clients in Nebraska and elsewhere. Students. Changes/Problems:Cattle were acclimated to our pastures and personnel for three weeks but some remained very nervous and were considered hazardous to personnel working with them. Consequently they were culled from the study. This reduced our treatment herd size from 6 to 5 cattle per treatment but no adverse effects on the study design are expected. In 2020, we will obtain animals earlier to increase the acclimation period. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two undergraduate students were trained in entomology, integrated pest management, data entry, cattle handling and in conducting field studies of pasture fly ecology and management in Great Plains conditions. A graduate student received similar training plus data analysis and reporting. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In extension meetings, Nebraska cattle producers are being informed of our trap results and are requesting information on how to obtain and use KS traps to manage stable flies on their herds. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Data from the 2019 summer field trials will be compiled, analyzed and reported at the S1076 multistate meeting in January 2020. A poster presentation will be made at the Entomological Society of America annual meeting. We will initiate year 3 of the field trials for the push-pull study and further trap improvement testing will be done in Florida and Nebraska. We will continue discovery and lab testing of attractants and repellents for use in traps and the push-pull strategy. Initial publications will be written and submitted.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. Push-Pull Field trial. Analysis of the 2018 push-pull study comparing FFARC (coconut fatty acid based biopesticide repellent) and a standard insecticide treatment, permethrin, were completed. Results showed that stable fly numbers on cattle treated with the repellent were equivalent to the permethrin treatment in reducing on-animal stable fly numbers. Two types of stable fly traps were tested in combination with the pesticide applications. Trap 1 - a modified commercial Knight Stick (KS) trap. The KS trap is visually attractive to stable flies and uses a sticky wrap to capture flies landing on it. We modified the trap by adding a chemical lure to add an olfactory attractant. The modified KS trap was effective in capturing large numbers of stable flies. Trap 2 - was designed to be attractive to stable flies seeking a resting site following a blood meal. The trap relies on an insecticide mesh covering to reduce fly numbers. However, the resting trap did not attract many flies and was considered ineffective. 2019 push-pull field trials were initiated in June and continued to mid-August. Testing was done in pastures at the West Central Research Extension Center of the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Results are not available at this time. 2. Trap Design Studies were done in Nebraska and Florida in 2018 and 2019 to compare capture gain of KS traps with olfactory lures against traps without lures. Nebraska trials were done in pastures with cattle. We found that the addition of the olfactory lure increased stable fly capture gain by almost 40% compared to traps without olfactory lures. Florida trials were done in large screen cages with introduced lab reared stable flies and in an animal park with large numbers of wild stable flies. Florida screen cage trials were mixed. In a small initial test in the screen cage, lures did not increase Capture Gain. However in a second cage test with 3 replications, capture gain from lures was 24%. Another 3 Florida trials done outdoors had Capture Gains of 75, 52, and 41%. We also tested whether a less expensive sticky wrap designated the NP wrap would be as effective as the commercial KS sticky wrap. Stable fly captures using the NP sticky wrap were only about 1/3 that of the commercial KS wrap. This suggests that the KS wrap is more attractive to stable flies than the NP wrap. 3. Biopesticide Discovery. We have been adding an attractant lure to KS traps to increase stable fly Capture Gain. The attractant, m-cresol, is added to a rubber septa and hung inside the KS trap tubes. We tested septa of three sizes to determine relative release rates. Medium size septa provided the highest release rate when charged with 1 mg m-cresol. Further, the release rate was constant through a 7-day period. In other trials, we compared trap Capture Gain of m-cresol against four other attractants. Overall Capture Gain ranged from 138 to 180% and was 163% for m-cresol. These results are promising in providing alternatives for m-cresol to use in a resistance management strategy and as possible blends to increase Capture Gain even further. A starch pectin formulation of the coconut FFA repellent was tested in a 6-cell box assay. Results show complete feeding protection through day 3 with partial antifeedant activity from days 4 to 7.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Members of the S1076 multi-state committee (A Multi-Tactic Push-Pull Strategy for Controlling Stable Flies), other scientists and professionals. Cattle producers, veterinarians and other Extension clients in Nebraska and elsewhere. Students. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two undergraduate students were trained in entomology, integrated pest management, data entry, cattle handling and in conducting field studies of pasture fly ecology and management in Great Plains conditions. A graduate student was recruited to join the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Study 1. Push-Pull Field trial. We will do season 2 of the field trial. Based on Study 2B, we will incorporate attractant lures with the visual traps. Study 2A. We will test promising attractants in Florida field trials. Study 2B. Using the best identified trap design, we will test promising attractants in Florida and then Nebraska field trials. Other trials will compare H traps to KN traps, with and without attractive lures.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Study 1. Push-Pull Field Trial. Season 1 field trials targeting stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans) were conducted in 2018. Yearling cattle in groups of six were randomly rotated through pastures and two treatments weekly. Treatments were insecticide application (permethrin) and application of a repellent biopesticide. In addition to the pesticide treatments host-seeking, visual traps captured flies as cattle came to watering tanks. Applications of the biopesticide immediately repelled flies and flies caught in the spray stream received a lethal knock down exposure. On day 1, stable fly populations on cattle treated with the biopesticide were less than on permethrin treated cattle. However, fly populations increased through the next 4 days and the weekly mean fly populations per treatment did not differ. Study 2A. Attractant and Repellent Bioassays. We tested compounds associated with stable fly larval development media (manure/grass clipping, crushed pineapple leaves and stems, and a sugarcane ethanol byproduct) as stable fly attractants. The best performing materials in electroantennographic and single cage wind tunnel bioassays were m-cresol, guaiacol, and 2-phenylethanol. In a different test, novel spatial repellent derivatives of coconut oil fatty acids, C8:Me and C10:Me, elicited strong EAG responses from stable fly antennae. Study 2B. Trap Field Efficacy. KS, a commercial stable fly trap, and the similar NP trap are visually attractive to stable flies seeking a host for a blood meal. We compared the two trap types over a 3-week period in four pastures with cattle. The KS trap was approximately 3 times more effective in attracting and capturing stable flies than similar NP traps. A second trial was a paired comparison of KS and NP traps with four replicates at four sites. Trap types differed significantly with KS traps capturing an average of 13.1 flies per day and NP traps 2.4. In a third trial, we compared KS traps with and without attractive lures at two locations from 11 July to 13 September. Mean weekly trap captures with lures were 94.1 stable flies and without lures 68.4. In a comparison of trap type efficacy in Costa Rica, we found that H traps caught the most flies at both test locations. IMPACTS. Study 1. Permethrin treatments have a history of lowering stable fly numbers on pasture cattle in Nebraska. In this study, we found the biopesticide treatment was as effective as the standard permethrin treatment. The stable fly traps were effective and had daily capture rates equivalent of approximately 70% of the daily on animal numbers in the biopesticde treatment and 40% in the insecticide treatment. In our trial, we used two traps per pasture. However, the use of additional traps would likely increase overall control. Study 2A. Promising new attractants identified in lab bioassays will be incorporated tested in season 2 field trials. Methylated repellent fatty acid derivatives were identified that may lead to improved sprayable formulations with longer residual activity and with improved spatial repellency. Study 2B. In two different trials, KS outperformed NP traps and KS traps with an olfactory lure captured an additional 30 to 40% more flies than KS traps without the lure. KS traps, especially with an attractive lure, are potentially valuable stable fly management tools. In addition, the traps complement insecticide management by providing an alternative mode of action to insecticides that can be integrated into insecticide management plans. Future trials will compare H traps to KS traps, with and without attractive lures.
Publications
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