Horn Fly Impact on Cattle
It’s no secret the horn fly is one of the biggest nuisances to cattle. During peaks, as many as 4,000 horn flies can call a cow’s hide home. At 30 blood meals each, that adds up to 120,000 bites per cow per day. Not only are these flies irritating your cows, but with production losses for the U.S. cattle industry estimated up to $1 billion annually, they’re also biting away at your profits.
High horn fly populations can cause blood loss, increased cattle stress and annoyance. This can cause cattle to use their energy to combat flies, change their grazing patterns and cause cattle grouping. The result of poor fly control may be reduced weight gains, decreased milk production and reduced calf weaning weights.