Control of horn flies on cattle with insecticide pellets fired from a CO2-operated pistol

A method is needed to control pyrethroid-resistant horn flies (Haematobia irritans) which would involve the intermittent application of insecticides to cattle without their confinement for treatment. Our objective was to test a CO2 gas-operated pistol, designed to shoot marking pellets, to determine the number of pellet applications required to obtain season-long control. Also, since horn fly resistance to pyrethroid insecticides is widespread, we tested ten other insecticides as concentrates in pellets. Six pellet pistol applications of 38% permethrin provided 84% control of horn flies for 15 weeks. Single pellet applications of ten non-pyrethroid insecticides indicated that none of these insecticides, at the concentrations tested, were as effective as permethrin for control of pyrethroid-resistant horn flies. Our field evaluation of the pellet-pistol method indicates that it has sufficient merit to justify further testing for horn fly control.