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Pesticide Use Information for New York State | |
NAPIAP Survey - Dairy -1991 |
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The overall assessment and effectiveness of pest control techniques for New York state dairy cattle production systems are an ongoing process for scientists at Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The most recent study of dairy cattle pest and pesticide-use in New York state was undertaken in 1986 (Specker, et. al., 1986). However, many of the pesticides cited in that report are no longer available for dairy cattle pest control.
In today's setting, the absence of pesticide-use information can create numerous misunderstandings associated with consumer concerns over food safety and health effects of pesticides. It is for this reason that this project was undertaken. This report summarizes pesticide-use data during 1991 for dairy cattle. Funding for this report was provided by the National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program, United States Department of Agriculture.
Certain words and/or terms used throughout this paper are defined below:
Table 1 shows the total number of cattle from each county where dairy cattle data were collected. One hundred and eighty-six of the 189 surveys collected indicated herd size. The surveys encompassed a total of 6,997 calves, 9,987 heifers and 20,473 milking cows (approximately 3% of the dairy cattle in New York). The total herd size represented was 37,457 cattle in 29 counties.
Table 1. Collection locations for dairy cattle data
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No. of No. of No. of No. in Total
County records calves heifers milking herd herd size
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Albany 1 75 75 150 300
Allegany 7 104 444 501 1,049
Broome 9 230 357 694 1,281
Cayuga 3 85 145 246 476
Chemung 1 30 25 131 186
Chenango 24 956 1,410 2,779 5,145
Clinton 1 80 90 160 330
Cortland 8 546 416 1,101 2,063
Dutchess 3 195 255 575 1,025
Erie 5 143 157 719 1,019
Essex 3 82 195 185 462
Franklin 3 82 155 255 492
Genesee* 14 763 1,423 3,002 5,188
Lewis 23 533 669 1,642 2,844
Livingston 1 50 50 80 180
Monroe 7 341 462 818 1,621
Niagara 3 87 74 145 306
Onondaga 1 46 213 0 259
Orleans 1 50 65 280 395
Rensselaer 4 112 155 316 583
Saratoga 2 39 48 134 221
Schuyler 3 275 365 540 1,180
Steuben 12 404 570 1,045 2,019
Tioga 13 467 510 1,292 2,269
Tompkins 12 546 731 1,624 2,901
Washington 16 485 702 1,476 2,663
Wayne 1 15 8 47 70
Wyoming* 5 176 218 536 930
TOTALS 186 6,997 9,987 20,473 37,457
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* 3 additional surveys were collected where the farmer did not indicate herd
size and were therefore not included in this table. One was from Wyoming
County and the other two were from Genesee County.
Calves were most commonly housed in an indoor pen (59.9%); 76.6% of the heifers were housed using a combination of an indoor pen (or freestall) and pasture. Stanchion or tie stall was the method of housing used most frequently (47.6%) for the milking herd.
Table 2 shows the frequency of treatment for the 5 livestock pest types surveyed. The most common response to how frequently flies on pasture were treated was "rarely or never" (42.2%). Flies in and around the barn area were treated several times per week by 34.8% of the dairymen surveyed and once a week by 26.0%. Lice were most commonly treated once per season (49.2%) and mange, scabies or barn itch, and grubs were treated rarely or never (60.5% and 65.2% respectively).
Table 2 Treatment frequency of livestock pests (187 records)
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(1 = Several times/week, 2 = once/week, 3 = two-three times/month,
4 = once a month, 5 = once a season, 6 = rarely or never treat)
1 2 3 4 5 6
% of % of % of % of % of % of
Pest type records records records records records records
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Flies on
pasture 16.8% 9.8% 8.7% 8.1% 14.5% 42.2%
Flies in
barn area 34.8% 26.0% 15.5% 8.8% 3.9% 11.0%
Lice 2.8% 2.2% 3.4% 15.6% 49.2% 26.8%
Mange, scabies
or barn itch 1.2% 0.0% 3.6% 3.6% 31.1% 60.5%
Grubs 1.2% 0.6% 2.4% 1.2% 29.3% 65.2%
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Dairymen were asked to rank each livestock pest as to their difficulty of control, with "1" being the most difficult and "5" being the least difficult. One hundred and nineteen out of 174 records (68.4%) considered flies on pastured cattle to have a difficulty level of 1 or 2. A similar number (63.2%) was obtained for flies in and around the barn area. The most common response indicated for lice was difficulty level 3 (30.0%), while mange, scabies or barn itch, and grubs appeared to be easy to control with difficulty levels of 5 (30.7% and 41.2% respectively).
The pest category "flies in and around the barn area" was considered to cause the greatest economic loss (32.9%) followed by "flies on pastured cattle" (27.2%). The same sequence was followed for the response to "pests that appear to be resistant to the insecticides available for their control." "Flies in barn area" received 43.0% of the responses and "flies on pastured cattle" received 38.8% (Table 3).
Table 3. Pests that appear to be resistant to the insecticides available for
their control (128 records)
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Number of Percent of
Pest responses responses
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Flies on pastured cattle 64 38.8%
Flies in barn area 71 43.0%
Lice 6 3.6%
Mange, scabies,or barn itch 12 7.3%
Grubs 12 7.3%
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Table 4 summarizes alternative methods used for the control of dairy cattle pests. The most commonly used method was manure management (42.8% of total responses and 83.7% of dairymen) followed by fly ribbons and sticky paper. Twelve of the 20 "other" responses (60%) were the drug Ivomec for the control of external parasites. Although only 2.2% of the dairymen surveyed used biocontrols - predators/parasites, 20 indicated that they would be interested in using them. Removal of manure/bedding for calves, heifers and cows occurred daily--48.4% for calves, 43.5% for heifers, and 94.5% for cows.
Table 4 Alternative methods for control of dairy cattle pests (184 records)
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Number of Percent of Percent of
Alternative method responses responses records
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Manure management 154 42.8% 83.7%
Electronic bug killers 46 12.8% 25.0%
Biocontrols-predators/parasites 4 1.1% 2.2%
Baited traps 19 5.3% 10.0%
Fly ribbons, sticky paper, etc. 112 31.1% 60.9%
Other* 20 5.6% 10.9%
None 5 1.4% 2.7%
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*Other includes: Ivomec for control of external parasites, birds, fly
swatter, fans to keep the air moving, filling in the barnyard with concrete
and screen doors.
Of the dairymen surveyed, 84.2% were certified pesticide applicators and 76.4% applied pesticides to cattle themselves . A very wide range of pesticide application methods were used by dairymen. The most common responses were fly baits, fogging/misting in the barn, and animal sprays which had been used by 73.5%, 68.1% and 61.6% of the dairymen, respectively. The least used methods (<40%) were ear tags and backrubbers. The type of application equipment used most often (which correlates with application method) was fogger (27.6%) followed by backpack or hand pump sprayer, and dust bags (both 22.5%). Dairymen indicated that 46% of them never calibrate their equipment . Of those that do calibrate their equipment, the most common response was once per season.
Insecticides used for fly control on cattle on pasture are summarized in Table 5:
Table 5. Insecticides used for fly control on cattle on pasture
(189 records)
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Number of Percent of Percent of
Insecticide responses responses records
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Animal sprays 109 30.3% 57.7%
Crotoxyphos (Ciodrin) 7 6.4%
Dichlorvos (Vapona,Ciovap,
Dual Stock Spray) 31 28.4%
Malathion 7 6.4%
Permethrin (Atroban, Expar,
Ectiban, Permaban, Permectrin II) 61 56.0%
Pyrethrins 3 2.8%
Backrubbers 45 12.5% 23.8%
Coumaphos (Co-Ral) 14 31.1%
Crotoxyphos (Ciodrin) 2 4.4%
Dichlorvos (Vapona, Ciovap,
Dual Stock Concentrate, Ravap) 5 11.1%
Malathion 3 6.7%
Methoxychlor 4 8.9%
Permethrin (Ectiban, Permectrin II) 15 33.3%
Other 2 4.4%
Hand dusting 36 10.0% 19.0%
Coumaphos (Co-Ral) 6 16.7%
Crotoxyphos (Ciodrin) 4 11.1%
Permethrin (Permectrin) 12 33.3%
Rabon 14 38.9%
Ear tags 25 6.9% 13.2%
Fenvalerate (Ectrin) 12 48.0%
Permethrin (Atroban, Ear Force,
Permectrin, Ectiban) 13 52.0%
Dust bags 47 13.1% 24.8%
Coumaphos (Co-Ral) 10 21.2%
Crotoxyphos (Ciodrin) 10 21.3%
Permethrin (Permectrin) 12 25.5%
Rabon 15 31.9%
Oral formulations 31 8.6% 16.4%
Diflubenzuron (Vigilante bolus) 7 22.6%
Rabon Oral Larvicide 24 77.4%
Impregnated wicks 19 5.2% 10.0%
Permethrin (Liquiduster) 19 100.0%
No insecticides used 48 13.3% 25.4%
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Insecticides used for fly control in and around the barn area are summarized in Table 6:
Table 6 Insecticides used for fly control in and around the barn area
(189 records)
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Number of Percent of Percent of
Insecticide responses responses records
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Space sprays applied with
mist blower and/or foggers 149 29.4% 78.8%
Crotoxyphos (Ciodrin) 7 4.7%
Dichlorvos (Vapona, Ciovap,
Dual Stock Spray) 37 35.1% 45.0%
Coumaphos (Co-Ral) 44 51.8%
Crotoxyphos (Ciodrin) 7 8.2%
Permethrin (Permectrin, Expar) 14 16.4%
Rabon 20 23.5%
No insecticide used 63 26.0% 33.3%
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Dairymen used "presence of pests" (28.2%) and "animal discomfort (22.0%) most often as the criteria for applying pesticides. Pesticides were selected based on "past success with a product" (33.6%) and "recommendation from a farm supply dealer" (23.8%). Most (43.0%) dairymen spent between $100 and $299 in 1991 on insecticides for fly control and between $10 and $49 (37.8%) on insecticides for external parasite control.
The most common pesticide storage site was in an area within the barn (57.4%) followed by a separate storage facility (20.5%). The majority of dairymen indicated that they did not dispose of unused pesticides, but carried them over to the next season (63.8%). The most popular method of disposal of empty pesticide containers was to send them to the landfill after triple rinsing (51.0%).
According to Geden and Rutz (1991), the house fly has developed very high levels of resistance to the insecticides available (registered) for its control. Therefore, dairymen are in need of alternative methods for improved pest suppression. Fly control on farms using a combination of parasitoid releases, frequent bedding/manure removal and avoidance of insecticides that are harmful to the parasitoids has been shown to be twice as effective as on conventionally managed farms, while reducing insecticide usage by 80% (Geden and Rutz, 1991). In addition, cost to the dairyman for increased frequency of removal of manure/bedding has been shown to be minimal ($0.016-0.033 per cow per day) while reducing or eliminating the cost of insecticides (Lazarus, et. al.,). New York dairymen are using alternative methods of pest control, especially daily removal of manure and bedding and show an interest in the use of biocontrols - predators/parasites.
Disposal of empty containers is being done properly and unused pesticides are being stored for the following season. Additional concerns expressed by dairymen related to pesticide storage and temperature conditions that promote product freezing and thawing. Most dairymen requested information about storage conditions that could be implemented to prevent this problem.
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