Good sanitation is the basis for all fly control programs. Sanitation is at least 75 percent of the fly control program preventing fly breeding. Nevertheless, it is often necessary to supplement sanitation practices with pesticides.
For successful fly control, organize a control program that best fits your farm. A single pesticidal product rarely gives the most effective and economical control. It is normally best to use a combination of pesticide applications such as residual wall sprays, space or aerosol sprays, baits, etc. during the fly season. Because fly resistance is always a possibility, it is best to rotate different chemical class insecticides, especially when one group begins to lose its effectiveness. One may alternate synthetic pyrethroids such as permethrin or fenvalerate to organophosphates such as tetrachlorvinphos, dimethoate or fenthion to insect growth regulators (IGRs). Do not wait for heavy fly populations. It is much easier and less expensive to prevent heavy fly buildup than to control heavy fly populations after buildup. As fly populations begin to buildup, take time and treat regularly.