Posted by Reedy Fork Organic Farm on 5/12/2012 to
News
"You probably know that when we became organic, we discovered that there were far fewer flies* than when we sprayed chemical repellents. Flies - like any parasite - go for the weakest targets to get their food. Healthy cows aren't so much of an attraction as those pumped full of antibiotics and hormones.
But we still have flies, which is a problem for us. Flies actually can decrease milk production, transmit disease, cause pinkeye, and irritate a cow's udders. So even with fewer flies than ever before, we still would like to eliminate them all together.
Of course, we're not the only ones, which is why the entomology department at North Carolina State came up with amazing invention - the fly sucker! You can see in the pictures that it blows and sucks the flies off the cows.
Organic Valley thought that this was such a great idea that they gave a research grant for NC State to test the effectiveness of the machine. And because we're an Organic Valley farm (and maybe because George is an NC State graduate...), we were chosen to test it.
So far - we like it! We hope this is another way that organic farms can keep their animals even healthier. And it might be a way for traditional farm to reduce their dependence on harmful pesticides.
And that's something that would be great for all of us!
*Read ""Why Flies Don't Bug Us Anymore"".
Click on the pictures below for a close up of the fly trap!
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