Bugs and bovids: Addressing veterinary entomology challenges through behavioral research

Dairy and beef cattle are top commodities in the Pacific region of the United States, accounting for over 30% of the total agricultural commodity value produced by these states. Dairy and beef cattle operations regularly produce large numbers of filth flies, including house flies (Musca domestica), stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans), and horn flies (Haematobia irritans), which develop in manure and feedstuffs. These pests negatively impact animal welfare and contribute to considerable production losses, with estimates exceeding $2 billion annually in the United States alone.

The management of these filth fly pests has been a research priority for veterinary entomologists for many decades, but research examining insect and animal behavior is lacking.

Animal behavior is notoriously difficult to study due to various logistical constraints, including limitations on the number of animals a single individual can observe over a short period of time and the alteration of animals’ “normal” behavior due to close proximity observation. However, technology can streamline and improve these studies. Over the past 35+ years, expensive technology for studying behavior has been inaccessible to many researchers, but this technology has become much more affordable in recent years. Recent research using on-animal sensors to monitor fly-repelling behaviors in cattle will be highlighted.