The Relation of Flies and Fly Sprays to Milk Production

Abstract

1. The paper presents an initial attempt to measure the decrease in milk production produced under controlled conditions by infestations of the house, stable, and horn flies, Musca domestica, Lyperosia irritans and Stomoxys calcitrans respectively. 2. During one month's confinement in a heavy infestation of horn flies the loss was 1.4 per cent; with house flies, 3.33 per cent; and with stable flies, 9.26 per cent. 3. Continuing the infestation of flies but spraying daily with a bland non-toxic oil type of spray, cattle infested with stable flies lost 21.0 per cent; with horn flies 13.1 per cent. 4. Sprayed with a combination of the above oil and a pyrethrum extract spray the controls without flies lost 4.3 per cent; and cattle infested with stable flies. 12.4 per cent.