Other flies common to cattle are the house fly, which feeds on organic matter, and the stable fly, which feeds on blood. The females of both lay eggs in freshly deposited manure and other types of decaying organic matter. Female horse flies and deer flies feed on blood of warm-blooded animals while their male counterparts feed on vegetable sap, etc. The females lay eggs on foliage or other objects that project over water or moist ground. Because these species of flies lay eggs in places other than cow manure oral larvicides do not give good control.
Cattle can tolerate low horn fly populations.
There are several methods of fly control, such as insecticide sprays, dusts, pour-ons, oilers, dust bags, ear tags, oral larvicides in minerals and blocks and controlled release boluses. In an integrated fly control program two or more products that compliment each other are used. One product should give good control where the other may be weak, thus reducing the probability of flies developing insecticide resistance. Many cases have been reported where flies developed resistance to insecticides that were very effective when first introduced. A good example are the organophosphate and pyrethroid ear tags that were very effective when first introduced several years ago.