Insecticides

Insecticide Impregnated Cattle Ear Tag

Insecticide saturates cattle ear tags discharge small amounts of an insecticide which are spread over the animal during grooming or rubbing. In common, ear tags have provided excellent, long term power of horn flies and a reduction in face fly numbers. Read the label before purchasing and use insecticide ear tags. All tags are labeled for beef cattle as only those with certain active ingredients are accepted for use on lactating dairy cattle. Check for any limitations for use, like animal age. Look for the general name of the active ingredient. Consider the recommended amount of tags per head. Some brands are used at the rate of one per animal. Two tags per animal seem to provide better face fly manage than those which rely on a single tag. Animals merely need to be handled one time to relate the tags. For fly control, it is most excellent to tag animals after horn fly numbers attain 50 or more per side. This reduces the probability of developing resistance to the active elements that are being used.

Areas treated by ear tags:

Investigate with insecticide ear tags fitted with a dye showed that the area directly behind the ears and forward to under the eye and down to the back of the mouth are treated attractive thoroughly. No colour was transferred to the legs, back-line, stomach or hips. There is extra spread of the insecticide as the creature grooms itself and mingles with other cattle. Differences in behavior between these two fly species are almost certainly part of the story. Horn flies use most of their time on the animal. They suck small amounts of blood often and leave only to lay their eggs on fresh cattle droppings. Face flies spend only a little amount of time on the animal. They visit the face, mainly under the eyes and around the mouth. Tags require to be removed at the end of the fly period in the fall to decrease the potential for insecticide confrontation in both lice and flies.

Safety precautions:

Non-porous gloves should be worn when tagging animals. Tags must not be handled bare-handed under any conditions. The application of insecticide in the tags varies from 8% to 36%. The tags are manufactured so as to the insecticide is rubbed off the surface and on to the animal. Any treatment of the tags leaves some insecticide on the hands. The insecticide then may be transferred easily to the mouth, eyes, face or other areas of the body. It is better to stay safe.

Insecticides