Dairy Herd Management Update: Pest Management

An Integrated Program for Insect Control

Abstract

Integrated pest management simply defined is the use of all potential control strategies to reduce pest populations below economic levels while minimizing undesirable effects to animals and the environment.  In order to do so we must identify the pest, know its economic thresholds, integrate control strategies and understand the impact of these strategies especially when using insecticides. In my presentation I have dealt with five pests common to the dairy producer; 1) house fly, 2) horn fly, 3) face fly, 4) lice, and 5) cattle grubs. These constitute summertime pasture and stable problems and wintertime parasites. For each pest I will cover their biology (briefly and only as it relates to control), the economic threshold and finally the best control options available to us.