Farm Animals

Cattle Fly Control and Summer Welfare

Flies cause significant welfare problems for cattle in summer, leading to pain, stress, weight loss, and disease transmission.

Key Facts

Horn flies can be present in densities of thousands per animal
Fly-worried cattle spend less time grazing and more time bunching and running
Flies transmit diseases including pink eye and summer mastitis
Insecticide resistance is increasing in fly populations
Genetic selection for disease resistance offers a long-term solution

Welfare Considerations

Fly burden causes measurable welfare harm through pain from bites, chronic stress behaviour, and disease. Integrated fly control programmes using physical barriers, biological control, targeted insecticide use, and good manure management reduce fly populations while minimising environmental harm from chemical overuse.

What You Can Do

Support farms using integrated pest management for fly control
Advocate for welfare assessments that include fly burden scoring
Encourage research into biological fly control methods
Choose beef and dairy from farms with documented fly control programmes
Learn about fly identification to understand local species and control options