Area wide management of stable flies

Authors: Taylor, David

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/21/2016
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Stable flies are among the most damaging pests of livestock worldwide. Their painful bites cause both physiological and behavioral changes that reduce productivity and wellbeing of domestic animals and humans alike. Immature stable flies develop in decomposing and fermenting vegetative materials, often mixed with manure and other animal wastes. Historically, stable flies have been considered to be primarily pests of confined animals and associated barnyards. Recent changes in animal husbandry and agronomy, combined with the broad adaptability of stable flies, have exasperated the problem by producing substrates conducive for their development in pastures and croplands. Serious outbreaks of stable flies attributed to crop residues have been reported in several countries including Australia, Costa Rica and Brazil. Infestation levels in excess of 1,500-2,000 flies per animal have been reported. Such infestations can reduce animal productivity to near zero and produce mortality. These outbreaks have also produced social unrest as ranchers, dairymen and subsistence livestock producers face the inability to produce a profitable product or, in some cases, even maintain viable herds because of stable fly infestations associated with new crops. Area-wide and integrated management techniques are required to address this issue because of the broad geographical scale, environmentally sensitive lands and dispersal capacity of stable flies. Inadequate control is currently being achieved by incorporating cultural modifications to reduce developmental substrate suitability and treatment with Insect Growth Regulators in conjunction with adult trapping, on-animal repellants and premise sprays. Improvements in cultural practices and traps, additional products for treatment of substrates to reduce potential development of resistance, and biological control options are needed to maintain stable fly populations below economic threshold levels. Because both male and female stable flies blood feed, effective gene drive mechanisms must be developed before genetic control options can be viable.