Recent hot weather saw an explosion in fly numbers

Cattle react to fly activity by movement into shade, restlessness, skin rippling, or simply stamping and tail switching

There are at least 20 common species of flies which feed on the blood, sweat, skin secretions, tears, saliva, urine or faeces of cattle.

HERD HEALTH SERIES: Maura Langan, Commercial and Technical Manager (Large Animal) at Norbrook.

Warmer weather allows for faster lifecycles, meaning that fly numbers can increase rapidly with just a few days above 20 °C. Other environmental factors include humidity, standing water, decaying vegetation and faecal matter, so it’s no surprise that Irish farms can face significant problems anytime between April and November.