Horn Fly Control - Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs)
What's so different about insect growth regulators?
IGRs vs. Insecticides
- Residual insecticides, such as organophosphates and pyrethroids, are used extensively in ear tags, dust and sprays. However, there is now widespread horn fly resistance to insecticides. In addition, many residual insecticides are toxic to beneficial insects, like coprophagous flies and beetles, predaceous beetles, parasitic wasps and dung beetles.
- Insect growth regulators, or IGRs, don't kill existing adult horn flies. IGRs interrupt the life cycle of immature horn flies, ensuring that they never develop into breeding, biting adults. That means your horn fly control is long-term and preventive, not reactive. In short, an IGR like Altosid® can stop a horn fly problem before it starts. And unlike insecticides, there's no resistance to Altosid® IGR Feed-Thru, and it will not harm beneficial insects.
Method of Action
How IGRs work.
Altosid® IGR Feed-Thru is ingested with cattle's feed. As they graze, cattle disperse the IGR via their manure, where horn flies lay their eggs. The IGR in Altosid® IGR mimics naturally occurring insect biochemicals that are responsible for insect development. Through this mimicry, the pupae cannot develop into breeding, biting adult horn flies. In fact, they don't even emerge from manure pats.