Warm weather brings more than green grass for cattle. Soon, insects like ticks, flies and mosquitoes will surface, and that makes March a good time to start preparing.
Flies are generally the biggest problem, says Grant Dewell, Extension beef veterinarian with Iowa State University.
“You will see loss of performance with cattle due to the blood loss that comes with flies,” he says. “The bites of stable flies are very painful, and that also causes issues.”
Fly bites are also a leading cause of anaplasmosis in cattle, Dewell says. He says a comprehensive fly control program will reduce health risks.
Ticks are more of an issue in southern Iowa and south into Missouri. Dewell says ticks are the biggest vector with anaplasmosis.
“Ticks will feed then drop off the animal and find another,” he says.
There is a new tick that could threaten cattle. The Asian longhorned tick has been found in Missouri.
“Thousands of ticks could be attached to a single animal,” Dewell says, adding that could be fatal to that animal.
According to the USDA, these ticks frequently form large infestations on warm-blooded host animals. This causes great stress on the animal, reducing its growth and production. A severe infestation can kill the animal due to blood loss.
While there have been no reports in the United States, the longhorned tick is known to transmit the agents of certain livestock and human diseases in other countries including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, theileriosis and rickettsiosis, as well as several viruses.
The USDA recommends that if a tick is attached to an animal or a person, remove it immediately. Use fine-tipped tweezers if at all possible. If they are not available, improvise by shielding your fingers with tissue paper, a foil-covered gum wrapper, or plastic sandwich bag. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, pulling upward with steady, even pressure.
Do not twist the tick as you remove it — this may cause the tick’s mouth parts to remain in the skin, which increases the risk of infection. Do not try to suffocate the tick with alcohol-soaked cotton — this will cause the tick to regurgitate while its mouth parts are still in the skin, which also increases the risk of infection.
Source: agupdate.com
Categories: Iowa, Livestock