Last updated on October 25th, 2023 at 02:07 pm
Garlic is a well-known herb for numerous reasons. For its great flavor, for its health benefits, and yes, for its strong, pungent smell. But did you know garlic is also an effective fly control option?
Additionally, because it’s completely natural, garlic has no negative effects on dung beetles or beneficial soil biology. So how does garlic actually work, and can it truly reduce the stress that flies bring to your livestock?
There’s no hiding it. Flies just stress cows out.
The more fly pressure a cow is under, the more her performance will suffer. Her milk production will be negatively impacted, which is especially critical when she has a new calf by her side. If the calf isn’t getting the milk and nutrition that it so badly needs, it’ll never be able to reach its optimum performance and genetic potential.
The sooner you address your fly population, the sooner you can make an impact on your herd’s performance and your bottom line.
How does garlic work as a flight control?
Garlic's mode of action is unique; it comes from a defense mechanism as a plant. When garlic bulbs are disturbed, whether they’re sliced or crushed, they release sulfurous compounds. This strong odor is designed to repel the pests that are attacking. We like to call it Mother Nature’s way of fighting flies because it’s completely natural!
While many other fly control options on the market are designed to kill flies or interfere with their growth cycle, garlic simply repels flies.
When cattle ingest these strong-smelling compounds, the unappealing odor comes out through their sweat glands and naturally repels files, who don’t like the smell.
Which fly species can garlic repel?
The reason many ranchers like using garlic as a fly control is because it fights off a wide range of flies and insects. While some fly control products target one specific species, like the horn fly, garlic’s natural odor repels anything from stable flies, face flies, and horn flies to mosquitoes, fleas, and even ticks!
Effective fly control = content, productive herd
As flies begin to avoid your livestock, the stress and pressure on your herd will decrease. Content cattle will graze more, spread out and utilize more of your pasture, and even have better breeding performance.
If you're looking to take a natural approach to reduce flies and other pests on your operation, we’d love to help you find an effective solution that not only fights flies but improves the health of your entire ranch ecosystem and your bottom line.
