PARASITE PRODUCTION AND RELEASE TO CONTROL FLIES IN CATTLE FEEDLOTS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO ESTABLISH AN EFFICIENT, COST EFFECTIVE FLY CONTROL PROGRAMFOR HIGH PLAINS CATTLE FEEDLOTS. THIS PLAN WILL ECONOMIZE THE USE OF PARASITES AND DEMONSTRATE WHAT EFFECT PARASITE RELEASES HAVE ON FLY NUMBERS. CURRENT CONTROL PROGRAMS USE INSECTICIDES, FLY PARASITES (PTEROMALIDAE), AND SANITATION TO REDUCE THE PEST FLIES. UNFORTUNATELY, PROPER METHODS OF SAMPLING (FLIES AND PARASITES) AND MASS RELEASE OF PROPERLY ADAPTED FLY PARASITES IS NOT CURRENTLY PRACTICED. BY MASS PRODUCING A HIGH PLAINS ADAPTED PARASITE, SPALANGIA NIGROAENEA, FOR RELEASE INTO CATTLE FEEDLOTS, ALONG WITH EFFICIENT SAMPLING METHODS, ECONOMICAL STABLE FLY AND HOUSE FLY CONTROL CAN BE ACHIEVED. MASS REARING OF S NIGROAENEA, TO OBTAIN OPTIMUM PRODUCTION PER PARASITE FEMALE WILL BE UNDERTAKEN. REARING ENVIRONMENTS WILL BE STUDIES TO ESTABLISHED WORKABLE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES, HOST PARASITE RATIOS, AND PARASITE SURVIVAL. AN ECONOMICAL STABLE FLY SAMPLING PLAN TO FIT THE HIGH PLAINS CATTLE FEEDLOT CONDITIONS WILL BE ESTABLISHED.