Tag: ClariFly

Start Next Year’s Fly Control Today: The 30/30 Approach from Central Life Sciences

Posted on by Jessica Graham

As the summer sun beats down across the country, flies may feel like a current concern—but the
smartest producers know that successful fly control begins well before pests become visible. In fact,
the groundwork for next year’s fly control starts today with a strategic and science-backed plan: the
30/30 approach from Central Life Sciences.

This method, built around the behavior of flies and the unpredictability of seasonal weather, is a
proven tactic for managing fly populations before they can threaten herd health or profitability. By
using a feed-through fly control solution like ClariFly ® Larvicide as part of a larger Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) program, operations can gain the upper hand—now and in the seasons to come.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes the 30/30 approach so effective and how you can begin
setting yourself up for a successful fly control season right now.

What Is the 30/30 Approach?

The 30/30 approach is a strategic guideline created by Central Life Sciences to help producers get
ahead of fly populations by starting early and finishing strong.
Here’s how it works:

 Start your feed-through product 30 days before the average daily temperatures reach 65°F in
the spring, typically 30 days before the average last frost
 Continue feeding 30 days after the first frost in the fall.
This early and extended timeline ensures you’re treating flies before they emerge in large numbers
in the spring—and long enough in the fall to minimize overwintering pupae that could lead to bigger
problems next year.

By bracketing the fly season with this approach, you not only protect your livestock when flies are
most active but also reduce the population that would otherwise carry over into the following spring.

Why Temperature Matters

Flies begin to emerge when average daily temperatures hover around 65° F, often before many
producers think to begin treatment. Missing this crucial window allows overwintering fly pupae to
mature and emerge, jumpstarting fly populations early in the season.

Once flies gain a foothold, they can quickly overwhelm your cattle. Studies show that an individual
animal can host up to 4,000 flies, leading to reduced weight gain, diminished milk production,
increased disease risk, and significant economic losses.

Starting 30 days before the 65° F threshold means you’re disrupting the life cycle of flies before they
explode in numbers, significantly improving your control throughout the peak fly season.

Don’t Stop at the First Frost

Ending your fly control program too early in the fall is another common misstep. After the first frost,
many producers assume the problem is over, but weather can be unpredictable, and warm snaps
can bring fly activity back to life.

That is why Central Life Sciences recommends continuing your feed-through fly control product 30
days past the first frost. This extra time reduces the number of immature pupae that could survive
the winter and become a new generation of pests in spring.

It’s a simple step with compounding benefits: fewer overwintering flies mean fewer flies in early
spring, which means fewer issues during the next peak season.

The Role of Feed-Through Fly Control

At the core of the 30/30 approach is the use of feed-through fly control solutions like ClariFly ®
Larvicide.

These products work by passing through the animal’s digestive system and depositing in the
manure, where they interrupt the fly life cycle. By targeting flies before they become adults, you
reduce the overall population without needing extra labor or time-intensive applications.
Importantly, feed-through products do not affect the animal, their feed intake, or their performance.
They are an efficient way to integrate fly control into your everyday feeding practices.

Why Timing Is Everything

Flies are more than just a nuisance. They spread over 65 known diseases and cause real economic
harm in both dairy and beef operations. Unfortunately, once fly populations reach a certain level
known as the economic threshold, they are not only harder to manage, but more expensive to
control.

That’s why the timing of your fly control efforts matters as much as the products you use. Waiting
until flies are visible or problems start occurring is often too late.

The 30/30 approach ensures you’re ahead of the curve, treating flies before they become an issue
and continuing treatment long enough to see lasting results.

Integrating the 30/30 Approach into an IPM Program

While the 30/30 approach is highly effective, it works best as part of a comprehensive Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) program. No single tactic can completely eliminate flies, but together,
multiple strategies can drastically reduce populations and protect your herd’s performance.

An effective IPM program includes:

1. Cultural Control:
Keep pens, lots, and feeding areas clean and dry. Manure management is critical, as flies
breed in moist organic material.
2. Biological Control:
Augment and preserve the native fly predators in your area by avoiding general, broad
insecticidal premise applications. Introduce natural predators or parasites of flies, such as
beneficial wasps that target fly pupae.
3. Mechanical/Physical Control:
Use fly traps, sticky ribbons, and fans to physically reduce fly presence in barns and shelters.
4. Chemical Control:
Combine feed-through products with targeted on-animal treatments, sprays, or baits when
needed, especially during peak fly times.

When feed-through products like ClariFly ® Larvicide are used within a well-rounded IPM strategy, the
results are stronger, longer-lasting, and more cost-effective.

How to Prepare Now for Next Year’s Fly Season

You may be mid-season now, but forward-thinking producers should already be planning their 30/30
strategy for the year ahead. Here is how to get started:

1. Know your regional temperature trends.
Research the average dates for when your area hits 65°F in the spring and when the first
frost typically occurs in the fall. Mark your calendar 30 days before and after these dates.
2. Incorporate feed-through products early.
Begin using ClariFly ® Larvicide according to your 30/30 timeline. Do not wait for flies to
appear.
3. Stick with the program into fall.
Continue feed-through applications for at least 30 days after the first frost. This helps wipe
out overwintering pupae and gives you a head start for next year.
4. Evaluate your current IPM efforts.
Take stock of what is working and what is not. Strengthen areas like sanitation, biological
support, and physical control measures before next spring.
5. Talk to your nutritionist or veterinarian.

Ensure your feed-through solution is being properly delivered in rations and assess any other
herd health needs.

Stay Ahead with the 30/30 Advantage

Every year, fly season feels like a battle—but it doesn’t have to be a losing one. With the 30/30
approach from Central Life Sciences, producers gain a simple, science-based strategy that keeps
them one step ahead.

By starting 30 days early and staying 30 days late, and pairing that with a smart IPM program, you
can dramatically reduce fly populations, boost cattle comfort, and improve your operation’s bottom
line.

Don’t wait for the first signs of trouble—fly control starts now.
To learn more about ClariFly ® Larvicide and implementing the 30/30 approach on your operation,
visit CentralFlyControl.com.

ClariFly is a registered trademark of Wellmark International.

More Than Just Fly Control

Posted on by Weicks-Webmaster

More Than Just Fly Control

Managing nuisance insects can be challenging without the appropriate products and integrated pest management strategies. Over time, Central Life Sciences has expanded its product range to include additional solutions for combating flies, fire ants, cockroaches, and other pests labeled as threats to your operation. Offering diverse solutions, we provide the necessary products to combat harmful insects prevalent in your environment.

Flies

Flies are more than just a nuisance on operations; they can significantly impact productivity and profitability without effective control measures in place. Managing diseases transmitted by flies requires employing various methods such as fly traps, baits, and

on-animal treatments to curb fly populations. For instance, house flies, stable flies, face flies, and horn flies are significant concerns in dairy operations due to their ability to transmit over 65 disease-causing organisms, contributing to ailments like Salmonella, mastitis, and pinkeye among cattle.

Central Life Sciences’ ClariFly® Larvicide and Altosid® IGR offer producers protection against the damaging impact of flies. The products don’t directly affect production but provide control for the nuisance flies that do. Both product lines are mixed into cattle feed and passed through the cow’s digestive system and into manure, where they interrupt the life cycle of the fly, preventing development into the adult stage. The active ingredient in each provides target-specific modes of action that are not harmful to birds, fish, reptiles, mammals, or beneficial insects.

When proper fly control isn’t in place, your animals can become stressed and uncomfortable, ultimately lowering overall productivity and profitability. 

Numerous species of flies can be a nuisance to your operation. They can not only annoy animals and humans alike but also affect animal comfort, health, and profitability. By implementing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program with Starbar®, ClariFly® Larvicide, and Altosid® IGR products, you can protect your operation from costly fly infestations.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches, often overlooked on agricultural operations, pose significant threats to cattle, employees, and the bottom line. Besides contaminating food and spreading diseases, they act as reservoirs and mechanical vectors for various illnesses. Transmission of these diseases includes inhalation, digestion, and cross-contamination. Not only does this affect humans, but it also affects cattle. Some of the diseases and bacteria cockroaches spread include Sarcocystosis, Salmonella, and Listeriosis.

Sarcocystosis is a disease often found in cattle, and they can contract it through ingestion after cockroaches contaminate their food. Signs of illness in cattle may include weakness, muscle spasms, weight loss, abortions, and possibly death.

When roaches crawl in filthy places, they compile Salmonella. After remaining in their digestive system for about a month, it can be transferred and released through their vomit and droppings. Salmonella can cause a wide range of clinical signs in cattle, such as joint infections, abortion, dysentery, chronic pneumonia, and sudden death. This disease is also commonly transmittable to animals by contamination of feed and water but can be anywhere, such as in animal bedding gates and pens.

Listeriosis is a bacterial infection of the brain, and it can affect a wide variety of animals, including cattle, birds, pigs, and humans. While this disease affects the nervous system, it can lead to other problems such as stillbirths, abortion, and encephalitis. The ingestion of bacteria causes most infections. However, direct contact or inhalation with the bacteria can also cause infection.

Products such as Cyanarox® Insecticidal Bait and Exhalt™ WDG Insect Growth Regulator from Starbar® allow you to protect your operation from the dangerous and costly effects of cockroaches.

Fire Ants

Fire ant infestations can irritate your cattle, causing reduced weight gains and injuries. Even more concerning, stings from fire ants can harm or even kill livestock, especially the young. When fire ants settle into pastures, they often forage for food or moisture in the same areas where livestock graze, according to NC State Extension Publications. 

Extinguish® Plus is the best answer to any fire ant problems on your operation. Extinguish® Plus was designed to offer both short-term and long-term relief from fire ants endangering pastures and livestock. It combines the killing power of an adulticide, Hydramethylnon, and the long-lasting control of the insect growth regulator (IGR), (S)-methoprene.

The dual action of an adulticide and an insect growth regulator (IGR) in Extinguish® Plus kills worker ants and sterilizes the queen, resulting in a one-two punch for fire ants, a quick reduction of mounds, and the confidence that the ants will be completely extinguished through the IGR. Extinguish® Plus is approved for use where cattle graze with no worries about withdrawal periods.

With Extinguish® Plus by your side, you’ll start to see fire ant colonies dwindle in about one week. And the entire colony could be eliminated within as little as two weeks.

Ticks

Because cattle often live and congregate closely together, ticks can multiply and spread rapidly, allowing some insects to turn into a tick infestation on cattle quickly. These blood-sucking insects spread diseases to both humans and cattle, hindering performance and bottom lines.

To effectively protect livestock from ticks, it’s essential to follow a checklist:

Regularly check livestock for ticks in key areas such as the head, ears, brisket, trailhead, udder, and between the legs. Report any findings to the local health department or state animal health official for further guidance and monitoring. Be vigilant for symptoms indicating tick-borne illnesses, such as high fever and weakness, and seek veterinary care promptly if observed. Additionally, maintain pasture hygiene by cutting down brush or weedy areas, reducing tick habitat, and minimizing exposure risk for livestock.

For effective tick control, use a product like Prolate/Lintox-HD™ Insecticide. Able to be of use as a pour-on, mist spray, or in a backrubber, its synergized formulation provides effective treatment of ticks.

Lice

Lice can cause intense irritation and affect the appearance of livestock due to rubbing and scratching. Many lice species affect cattle, but the main ones are either biting or sucking lice. Biting lice feed on skin debris while sucking lice suck blood and can cause anemia if infestations are heavy enough. 

By killing listed parasitic flies and controlling lice, Inhibidor™ Insecticidal Pour-On can enable more efficient production by keeping your animals comfortable while protecting your bottom line. Other products for lice control include Cattle Armor™ 1% Synergized Pour On, Starbar® UL-100 EC Insecticidal Spray, Prolate/Lintox HD™ Insecticide, Starbar® E-Pro Adulticide Spray, and Pyronyl™ Crop Spray.

Central Life Sciences understands the detrimental losses that these insects pose to cattle, employees, and your bottom line. With products scientifically tailored to insect behavior at pinpoint locations, our Starbar®, ClariFly® Larvicide, and Altosid® IGR products can help you keep your cattle healthy and comfortable all season. To learn more, visit www.AltosidIGR.com.

Altosid, Cattle Armor, ClariFly, Cyanarox, Exhalt, Extinguish, Inhibidor, Prolate/Lintox HD, Pyronyl, and Starbar are trademarks of Wellmark International.

Article and photos courtesy of Central Life Sciences

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