Below is a list of the most common flies that are found around Canadian farms.

Horn Fly (Haematobia irritants)

Description

• Complete lifecycle takes 7 to 21 days
• Adults spend their entire lives on cattle
• Female lays up to 500 small, reddish-brown eggs in fresh manure
• Eggs hatch in a few hours into maggots which mature to pupa in 10 to 12 days

Life Cycle

• Complete lifecycle takes 7 to 21 days
• Adults spend their entire lives on cattle
• Female lays up to 500 small, reddish-brown eggs in fresh manure
• Eggs hatch in a few hours into maggots which mature to pupa in 10 to 12 days

Food Source

• Feeds on the blood of cattle; lives on or around the shoulders and backs of cattle, moving to the belly on hot days or in rain storms
• Larvae live in fresh manure

Indications

• Tail switching
• Visible irritation
• Batching of flies on the animal

Threat

• Can cause anemia, reduced weight gain, decreased grazing time and a general weakening of the animals

Face Fly (Musca autumnalis)

Description

• Dark gray
• Four dark stripes on thorax
• Abdomen dark gray in males, black in females
• Orangeat sides in males
• 7 to 8 mm long

Life Cycle

• Complete lifecycle takes 14 to 18 days
• Generally live in and around homes and structures on cattle operations
• Female lays up to 150 small, white eggs in fresh manure
• Eggs hatch in a few hours into maggots
• Maggots mature to pupal stage in 3 to 10 days

Food Source

• Female face flies feed on the secretions of mucus and secretions from the eyes and nostrils of cattle and horses; male face flies feed primarily on nectar and dung
• Fresh cattle manure serves as the optimal place for female face flies to deposit eggs

Indications

• Pinkeye

Threat

• Can transmit Moraxella bovis, the bacteria that causes pinkeye in cattle
• Disrupt cattle feeding and reduce weight gain

Stable Fly (Stomoxys calcitrans)

Description

• Dark gray
• Four dark stripes on thorax, abdomen
• Dark spots
• 5-8 mm long

Life Cycle

• Complete lifecycle takes 3 to 6 weeks
• Adult stable flies generally live around livestock facilities
• Adult female lays up to 50 small off-white eggs in decaying animal or plant waste
• Maggots mature to pupal stage in 12 to 21 days

Food Source

• Adult stable flies feed on blood from cattle, horses, and even humans
• Larvae feed on fecal materials and decaying organic matter, such as silage, rotting hay and grass clippings

Indications

• Cattle bunching
• Tail switching
• Constant moving

Threat

• Deliver a painful bite and are capable of transmitting some viruses
• Disrupt feeding and reduce weight gain

House Fly (Musca domestica)

Description

• Dark gray
• Four dark stripes on the thorax
• Abdomen yellowish at sides
• 5-8 mm long

Life Cycle

• Complete lifecycle takes 10 to 21 days
• Female lays up to 150 eggs in moist, warm, decaying organic matter
• In about 12 hours, eggs hatch into maggots that grow to about 1/2 inch
• Maggots pupate in the ground for 5 to 6 days up to a month

Food Source

• Animal manure, decomposing grain, dead or decomposing animals and plant materials
• Larvae live and feed on several materials that are high in bacteria such as manure and decaying organic matter

Indications

• Fly specks
• Adult flies around building, feed and animals

Threat

• Can carry diseases including cholera, dysentery and anthrax
• Leave little spots called ‘fly specks’ which are made of fly excrement and very hard to remove
• Annoyed neighbors can bring lawsuits seeking damages or the closing of your animal facility

Deer Fly (Chrysops sp.)

Description

• black, yellow and black, or, sometimes, gray
• often have ‘bee-like’ abdominal stripes5-12 mm long

Life Cycle

• Typically one generation per year
• In about 5-12 days, eggs hatch into maggots
• Maggots pupate in the ground for 6 to 12 days

Food Source

• Females require a blood meal in order to reproduce
• Larvae live and feed on several materials as manure and decaying organic matter

Indications

• Tail swishing,
•  animals agitated

Threat

• Can carry diseases including anaplasmosis
• Weight drops of up to 20% have been reported

We strongly recommend using a method that targets adult flies as part of your fly control program.

Please contact us for a NO OBLIGATION discussion on a customized fly control program utilizing fly parasites (1-888-668-7264).

We strongly recommend using a method that targets adult flies as part of your fly control program.

Please contact us for a NO OBLIGATION discussion on a customized fly control program (1-888-668-7264). We are not after a fast sell, but rather we hope to have a long-term satisfied customer.

Our business has grown across Canada virtually by word of mouth and we welcome all inquiries. Our commitment to you is to create the BEST, MOST ECONOMICAL AND LONG-TERM BIOLOGICAL FLY CONTROL PROGRAM.