Pesticide Usage on Beef and Dairy Cattle in Scotland 1977/78

Abstract

A survey of pesticide usage by Scottish beef and dairy farmers during the period September 1977 to August 1978, revealed that 73 and 85% respectively used insecticides/acaricides of some kind to control one or more of the following pests: warble flies, nuisance and biting flies, ticks and mange mites. Approximately 30% of cattle were treated for warble with fenthion, crufomate and phosmet, about 70% of treatment was during the autumn. Other flies were less troublesome to beef than to dairy farmers who used mainly synergized pyrethrins and dichlorvos for space treatment, and crotoxyphos and tetrachlorvinphos on the animals and buildings respectively. The use of repellents and protectants was also recorded. Treatment against lice was widespread and, although some incidental control was achieved with the pour-on warblecides, the main method of control was with powder formulations of gamma HGH. Very little control of ticks or mange mites was recorded. Estimates of national usage of the main pesticides are given, together with the percentage of farmers who used them.