By: Sonja L. Swiger, Assistant Professor and Extension Entomologist
The horn fly, Haematobia irritans, is one of the most prevalent insects affecting beef cattle. It is a small but persistent blood-sucking fly that feeds on cattle 30 to 40 times each day. Both male and female horn flies take blood meals, leaving the backs of cattle only for short periods when depositing egg batches into fresh manure.
Using insecticide-impregnated ear tags is an effective way to manage horn flies and there are a variety of products available.
Ear Tag Guidelines
- Tag after 100 horn flies per animal.
- Remove at the recommended time.
- Rotate classes of insecticides (such as organophosphates, pyrethroids, or avermectin) each year; use any organophosphate for one year and then switch to any pyrethroid or other class the next year.
- Include a midseason treatment.
Download a printer-friendly version of this publication: Insecticide-Impregnated Ear Tags for Cattle
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