Non-chemical ways to manage buffalo fly

Non-chemical methods manage buffalo flies by reducing breeding sites and supporting natural predators.

When you combine chemical treatments with non-chemical methods, you improve long-term buffalo fly control and slow the development of insecticide resistance.

Use chemical and non-chemical methods

Chemical treatments should be used only when fly pressure is high, and non-chemical methods should be used to reduce breeding and keep fly pressure lower over time.

This integrated approach helps you:

  • reduce reliance on repeat treatments
  • slow the development of insecticide resistance
  • maintain effective control year after year.

Target the fly life cycle

Buffalo flies have a short life cycle, so numbers can build quickly when conditions suit them.

  • Adults live for 2–3 weeks on cattle and feed on blood.
  • Females lay eggs in or under fresh dung pats, which usually hatch within 24 hours.
  • Larvae develop in the dung and complete development within 4–5 days before new adults emerge and find cattle.

Fresh, undisturbed dung is the main breeding site for buffalo flies.

Support natural predators

Natural predators attack buffalo flies in dung and soil during their immature stages. While they take time to establish, they reduce fly pressure over the long term.

Key predators are:

  • dung beetles (break up and bury dung, disrupting breeding)
  • parasitic wasps (attack fly pupae)
  • mites and fungi (also affect eggs and larvae).

Dung beetles

Dung beetles disrupt the fly life cycle by breaking up and burying dung. They can be introduced or protected at scale to deliver a measurable impact on buffalo fly populations.

For buffalo fly control:

  • protect dung beetle activity (especially from October to March when they are most active)
  • be aware that dung beetles can be affected by isoxazoline (ISZ), macrocyclic lactone (ML) and synthetic pyrethroid (SP) insecticides
  • identify lower-impact options where possible, as ear tags and backrubbers generally have the least effect on dung beetles
  • check insecticide product labels for dung beetle risk
  • expect dung beetle numbers to drop during dry periods.

Use dung beetles as part of long-term buffalo fly control and plan for establishment.

Breed for fly resistance

Some cattle carry more flies than others, and susceptibility to high fly numbers is highly heritable. You can improve resistance over time by identifying and selecting more resistant animals.

For buffalo fly management:

  • identify and record animals that consistently carry high fly burdens
  • consider herd factors that often carry more flies (bulls, dark-coated cattle, older cattle and cattle in poor condition)
  • note that Bos indicus cattle are generally more resistant than Bos taurus
  • cull severely affected animals if it suits your herd plan.

Some cattle may also be genetically more resistant to buffalo fly lesions. Lesion development appears to be animal-specific and may be linked to an allergic response.

Use buffalo fly numbers and lesion resistance to guide selection and breeding decisions.

Install a buffalo fly tunnel trap

Buffalo fly tunnel traps are a long-term, chemical-free option that reduces adult fly numbers by capturing flies as cattle move through a set point.

Once installed, they operate continuously with minimal ongoing costs or labour, season after season, without repeat treatments or product purchases.

For best results:

  • place the trap where cattle must pass through regularly (for example, to water, the dairy or yards)
  • keep the tunnel clear and easy for cattle to walk through
  • maintain the trap to keep it capturing flies effectively.

See our step-by-step guide on how to build a buffalo fly tunnel trap.

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