It also attacks house flies, a nuisance pest for people near feedlots. If further study is successful, the wasp could be commercially available as a control option to producers within five years. The finding is the result of an extensive survey conducted through the cooperation of feedlot operators and both federal and provincial researchers. If proven effective for biocontrol, the wasp would give feedlot operators a much-needed control alternative, says Floate.
Flies cause discomfort and stress in cattle, resulting in production losses.
The painful bites of stable flies can reduce weight gain and feed conversion efficiency in feeder cattle up to 20 percent, while house flies are more of a nuisance to workers and nearby homeowners. So pest control not only improves animal welfare, it increases returns to producers. Parasitic wasps act as a natural biocontrol agent by laying eggs inside fly pupae. When the wasps hatch, they eat the developing flies. The wasps are harmless to people and livestock.