Insects Pests of Beef Cattle
Beef cattle in Mississippi are subject to attack from several insects and other arthropod pests. Economic losses result from blood loss as well as aggravation which interferes with grazing and milk production. In addition, as arthropods go from cow-to-cow, they are capable of carrying disease-causing organisms -- this is the primary way anaplasmosis is transmitted. Poor general health, contributed to/by arthropod pests, can result in lower birth weights, as well as lowered milk production, resulting in lowered weaning weights. A conservative estimate of loss from uncontrolled arthropod pests is $40 per head. This amounts to over $28 million potential loss for the state's cattle herd. Depending on the class of animal, returns of $8 to $20 for each $1 spent on arthropod pest control can be expected.
The major insect pests of beef cattle are several species of biting flies and lice.
The biting flies take blood directly from cattle. In addition to worry, disease transmission and blood loss, the wounds attract other pests. Though these secondary visitors may not bite the cattle, they can transmit disease as they visit different cattle. The major biting flies in Mississippi are horn flies, stable flies and several species of horse flies.
There are five (5) species of lice, which can infest Mississippi cattle. There are sucking lice, which take blood directly, and biting lice which consume dead skin, scabs and blood around wounds. Lice are cool weather pests, occurring on cattle in damaging numbers from fall to spring. This is also the time when, for most cattle producers, the feed quality is lowest. This can be a critical combination of circumstances for brood cows carrying calves.
The other major arthropod pests of beef cattle are ticks and mites.
Ticks suck blood from cattle and most require more than one host during their lifetime. This habit of changing hosts makes ticks potential disease carriers.
The mites cause scab and mange. Although not as common as they once were, mange and scab mites still occur and can be debilitating to cattle and uncontrolled, can lead to death.
Another fly worthy of note is the heel fly. These flies are unusual as they are freeliving as adults and internal parasites as larvae. We know the larvae as cattle grubs. Grubs can be significant on individual farms, but are becoming rare because of the widespread use of ivomectrin as a wormer.
Arthropod control should be a routine part of a total herd health program. Thought should be given to planned integrated programs which will result in reduced costs: dollars are saved when multiple tasks are performed as cows are worked.
Frequently Asked Questions
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are arthropods?
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do the insecticide impregnated ear-tags no longer control horn flies
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