Natural Fly Repellent for Livestock

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Livestock is the leading cash crop of all farm production in the U.S., with an annual income of $37.9 billion (1994). Current methods of protecting this income from insect damage are ineffective and damaging to the environment. Insects, ticks and mites cost U.S. livestock producers in excess of $3 billion annually, according to a 1994 workshop and survey. Current methods of fly control for livestock depend primarily on the use of pesticides. For decades, permethrin and related compounds have been applied to the skin of livestock for fly control. However, permethrin-like compounds have only weak repellent activity, permitting the annoyance of landing insects, and the toxic effect of these compounds to flies has diminished due to tolerance. DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), the leading commercial repellent for human use, has limited effectiveness against stable flies and causes toxicity to cattle and horses at the high doses necessary for protection. Stratacor has developed a novel, low cost, naturally occurring composition that has high repellency against house and stable flies, which are major livestock pests. However, commercial success is dependent on the development of safe and effective formulations of the actives. Our repellent will curb insect-related losses in the poultry, dairy cattle, range cattle, confined beef cattle, and swine industries and will improve animal care for horses and other companion animals.