FEEDING garlic to cattle and sheep as a natural insect repellent can help to reduce problems caused by flies, midges and ticks, according to Rumenco Technical Services Manager Dr Alison Bond.
Including it in mineral and vitamin licks, she says, could in many cases be a cost-effective addition to livestock farms’ pest control strategy, especially given the increasing threat resulting from climate change.
She added: “The warmer and wetter conditions that we are seeing in the UK are undoubtedly increasing the threats posed by flies and other biting insects.
“The length and intensity of risk periods is becoming greater, so farmers need to challenge their traditional control methods and consider what else they can do to combat the challenges.
“Livestock farmers will be all too familiar with the range of diseases that are caused by flies and other insects, whether it’s longstanding issues like flystrike in sheep or summer mastitis in cattle, or newer threats such as Bluetongue and Schmallenberg.
“There is also the nuisance element to consider, which is known to affect feed intakes and performance.
“Research has been done on the effects of ‘fly worry’, with liveweight gains in growing cattle shown to be reduced by 0.3kg/day and milk yields in dairy cows dropping by as much as 0.5l/day as a result of fly-related stress and disruption.”
Rumenco now includes an option within its Supalyx mineral, vitamin and trace element bucket range with garlic included, specifically to help reduce the impact of flies and other biting insects.
Dr Bond explained: “We include a garlic oil extract in Supalyx Garlic because it has been proven in research to deter flies, midges and ticks, potentially reducing infestations around livestock.
“Firstly, the garlic will minimise the attraction of flies and other insects to the buckets, despite them being molasses-based.
“The animals then spread the garlic with their muzzles, through grooming of themselves and others, and there is then a degree of garlic secretion, all of which acts as an effective deterrent.
“The full economic impact of flies, midges and ticks is difficult to evaluate and will vary from farm to farm, but there’s little doubt that it can be significant and is increasing.
“Conventional control methods, such as pour-ons, are important, as are management priorities around farm hygiene and grazing site selection, for example, but there will be a place on most farms for the addition of garlic as a natural deterrent.
“Including garlic as part of a feed bucket that is also providing essential minerals, vitamins and trace elements is an efficient and cost-effective solution, requiring no additional labour input or stock handling.”
Rumenco’s Supalyx Garlic buckets provide an optimal balance of minerals, vitamins and trace elements, to complement grazing or conserved forage, and are suitable for all classes of cattle and sheep.
