Organic Stable Fly Repellent

Of greatest importance to US cattle ranchers is the ability to provide high level animal care to their cattle ensuring that they can provide adequate and profitable levels of beef, milk, and other cattle-derived products to US consumers. A long-time pest in this industry is the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans, which feeds on the blood of livestock animals, such as cows and horses. Persistent bites cause substantial blood-loss which results in reduced weight (beef) gain and lesser milk production in cattle. Furthermore, stable flies are also capable of transmitting a variety of pathogens, bacteria, and viruses which are harmful to the health and vitality of these animals. These factors contribute to significant economic losses to cattle ranchers and can result in higher beef and milk prices to consumers. Using ISCA Technologies & #39; proven semiochemical delivery system, SPLAT & reg; (Specialized Pheromone and Lure Application Technology), this project will develop an organic formulation containing botanical-based repellents that are effective against stable flies. The resulting formulation, SPLAT Nep, will be used to protect individual animals through a direct topical application or as a spatial repellent to reduce stable fly incidence near cattle raising operations. These efforts can result in the reduction of insecticide use around cattle which is currently a major method of control of the stable fly. Furthermore, the results of this project will directly benefit ranchers by enhancing on-farm environmental and economic sustainability. These benefits also extend to consumers by minimizing the risks associated with pesticide residues on animal derived products, by helping to provide farm animals with a healthier, better quality of life, and by maintaining the affordability of healthful foods such as milk and beef. This Phase I USDA SBIR project, Organic Stable Fly Repellent, will benefit cattle raising operations by providing an alternate management strategy to control the stable fly.