Fly Control:
- Maintain and repair all windows
- Ensure no food enters the dung channel. Creep feed is an ideal
medium for fly multiplication.
- Place a 2 mm mesh over the windows and air intakes. This must
be kept clean to prevent the mesh reducing ventilation rates. This
can be difficult.
- Consider use of biological fly control using Ophyra which eat
the fly maggots
- Site solid manure pile as far away from the buildings as
possible
- The solid manure pile should be covered as soon as possible
after tipping feces and then properly compacted to generate heat
which will kill the larvae
- Control birds
- Remove feces as often as possible
- Remove afterbirths as soon as possible (immediately)
- Have efficient pressure washing
- Remove all fermenting food
- Insecticides should never be used as a substitute for good
hygiene. Care should be taken to ensure that no unnecessary
spillage of food. Ensure that a build up of animal waste products
in passageways or on ledges around pens is prevented
- Flood slurry channels in summer with water to cool and break
up slurry crust. An alternative is to add Aclith to the slurry
- Initially use a knock down agent and then a residual in areas
where flies congregate
- If flies are a serious problem causing disease or a nuisance,
it may be necessary to identify the fly species before a specified
control strategy can be designed
Mosquito control
In
addition to issues above ensure that there is no standing water
around the farm. Note ventilation curtains which are not
completely down can create pools of water.
There
is also a concern with Bats in the USA. Bats are very
important in the control of mosquito's. Bats on the East coast
are dying of a new disease condition called White Nose Syndrome,
which is associated with a fungus Geomyces destructans.
For
further details
If you suspect any bat on your farm having this syndrome, contact
your veterinarian.
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