Muscidifurax & Spalangia
Fly Exterminator
Parasitic Wasps

Target Pest:
Controls flies in animal manure accumulations and other filth fly breeding sites. Very effective against the housefly, biting stable flies, garbage flies, and the lesser housefly which make up to 95% of the flies in manure and other site accumulations. Five percent of the other flies are also parasitized, such as false stable flies, face flies, flesh flies and horn flies, but control is less complete on those flies which complete their life cycle widely dispersed in the pasture.

Description:
These small parasitic wasps are the most natural enemy of flies during the pupa stage. We provide several species of the tiny wasps in the genera Muscidifurax and Spalangia that attack and have adapted to different climates with a higher proportion of Spalangia in proportion to Muscidifurax. The eggs of the parasitic wasps are laid inside the flies pupae and the developing flies provide food from within for the young wasps.

Parasitic wasps do not bite, sting, swarm or bother anything else, humans or animals included. Parasitic wasps are nocturnal and are rarely seen during the day. They operate to a depth of 8 inches in the manure, homing in with their biological radar on fly larvae that are about to pupate.

Product information:
Parasitic wasps arrive in woodshavings developing inside the fly pupa and when fully grown they will cut a hole in the pupal case and exit as adults searching for more fly larvae, seeking to lay their eggs where the flies pupate. The parasites must not be left in direct sunlight or hot areas. They need to be held at 70° to 80°F, increasing to 85°F for more rapid emergence. They should be emerging and ready to release within a day or two.

Release Rates:
A small handful or spoonful of the parasitized fly pupae in woodshavings is sprinkled either on manure or in furrows and then lightly covered to protect from birds. The widest possible dispersal of the parasites is best. Top priority release sites are barns, stables, kennels, in and around coops, stalls, with special attention to hospital and calf pens on dairies and horse stalls, on feedlots and wherever straw bedding is provided for animals. Place also around corral posts, fence lines, paddock areas and other dropping sites, at the edges of manure piles, pits or carts, and wherever manure accumulates. Having other fly-breeding areas near (but never directly in) water sources, and near decomposing matter, garbage cans and septic tanks.

Preventative measure to prevent fly build-up is a much easier strategy than getting rid of them. A few flies always will survive the cold and drying conditions of winter in the pupa stage. In early spring parasites should be released at the first sign of emerging or immigrating adults to minimize the number of adult flies that are laying eggs. Very early releases can be smaller in number, increasing the quantity at the first sign of active breeding. Once the parasites are established fewer parasites may over-winter outdoors, but yearly augmentation is necessary in order to prevent a build-up of flies.

Strategies in Reducing the Number of Adult Flies:
In order to have a successful integrated fly control program it is imperative to keep the number of adult flies down because a single fly can lay up to 800 eggs and a single parasite will attack less than 50 fly pupae developing from all those fly eggs. An advantage the flies have is that they have a shorter life cycle (8 days in hot weather and up to 14 days in moderate weather), giving greater reproductive capability and are capable of traveling greater distances. Flies tend to resist the effect of pesticides more than the parasites do because the population of fly parasites need continuous reinforcement through augmentative releases of parasites to maintain a high level of fly control.

Bait Trapping: Bait trapping is highly recommended to accompany fly parasite releases for adult flies. Using some non-poisonous materials or chemicals can be useful when they are made into sugar baits and fed to the adult flies. It is both economical and safe to use bait traps to kill large numbers of adult flies without interfering with biological controls. In order to lessen the fly problems during the first few weeks of summer it is important to lower the adult fly density before seasonal hot weather arrives and also during the period of time it takes for the beneficials to reproduce to larger numbers in the manure. In areas with humid weather and wet manure accumulations both releases of parasites and bait stations are needed to give excellent fly management. Inside each barn or shady area one bait trap should be set up when you start releasing parasites. The number of traps should be increased along with parasite releases until the adult flies are gone.

Managing Manure: In order to help limit fly problems it is imperative to practice good sanitation which will then eliminate the conditions which are favorable to fly breeding. Removig manure frequently reduces fly parasite breeding areas. While leaving a little of the top layer of manure in place in order to leave some of the complete complex of beneficials to keep destroying the flies.
Keep manure dry and eliminate wet areas where possible while maintaining ventilation. Clean up feed spills where possible. Use hydrated lime where animals urinate frequently. In cases where there are large amounts of manure, the manure can be managed in a pond or a storage area where non-aerobic digestion is accomplished or by aerobic composting systems. Manure which is unprocessed can be piled and covered which will reduce the surface and heat built up to reduce fly breeding. Dry manure does not breed flies, but a moisture content of 50% to 80% is where fly breeding occurs and is also where the fly parasites work best.

Guidelines for Parasite Estimation:
Per Large Animal - 500 to 1,000 parasites per month, will also depend on the concentration of manure.
Per Small Animal - Two parasites per month

Double up when fly problems are severe and cutting back when the parasites are well-established and/or when the weather is cooler and drier.

For small rancher or homeowner - packages of 2,000 and 5,000 parasites are available.

For larger projects - colonies of 10,000 are used, parasites are sent as approximately 13,400 to 14,500 parasitized pupae at approximately 75% parasitism.

Typical Program Schedules:

Compost (per 100 cubic yards) 5 - 15 colonies/month.
*Schedule every week or two during fly season.

Dairies (approximately 100 cows) 2 - 4 colonies/month.
*Schedule weekly during fly season.

Feedlots (approximately 1,000 heads) 4 - 9 colonies/month.
*Schedule every 1-2 weeks during fly season.

Poultry (approximtely 10,000 breeders) 2 - 4 colonies/month.
*Schedule every week or two as manure piles up.

Stables (up to 30 horses) 1 - 4 colonies/month.
*Schedule every 2 to 4 weeks during fly season.

Life span:
A generation of fly parasites is completed every 3 weeks yielding a steady reproduction of parasites. An adult wasp lives about 10 days. With the geometric increase in populations, a reduction in flies can be expected in 4 to 6 weeks. Almost every fly breeding at your location will eventually be killed. Flies still can be migrating in, so biological control would work best if the whole neighborhood would use biological control.

Strategic Considerations:
All natural enemies of flies are susceptible to pesticides, particularly when directed at manure. Adult populations may be reduced with poison baits. Adult fly resting areas should only be sprayed with long residual pesticides. In doing this you will conserve the natural enemies and prevent the development of resistance and reduce toxic pollution.