Frequently Asked Questions
Fly Predators Questions
General Information
Fly Predators are tiny parasitic insects that kill nuisance flies before they become adults.
Fly Predators are made up of a mix of 3 species of parasitic insects in the family Pteromalidae. These include Muscidifurax zaraptor, Muscidifurax raptorellus, and Spalangia endius (occasionally exchanged for Spalangia cameroni). By sending you a mix of these species, we ensure the widest range of coverage for fly control on your farm. How so? Muscidifurax species like to search along the surface of fly breeding habitats, do better in cooler temperatures, and are very efficient against house flies. Spalangia species have been found to seek out fly pupae at deeper depths, do better in warmer temperatures, and are more efficient against biting stable flies.
Fly Predators look similar to a small ant or gnat.
After a female Fly Predator emerges from the host pupa as an adult, she will quickly mate and begin searching for developing flies. When she locates an unparasitized fly pupa, she will eat some of them and lay eggs in others. The eggs hatch inside the host pupa and feed on the fly (killing it in the process) as they grow. The speed at which Fly Predators develop depends heavily on temperature. At temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, development from egg to adult will take a minimum of 14 days. At 70 degrees Fahrenheit this extends to a minimum of 30 days to develop from egg to adult. As winter approaches and temperatures drop, some developing Fly Predators will enter a state called diapause that is similar to hibernation. While in diapause, development halts until temperatures begin to rise again, at which time the developing Fly Predators will complete their development.
Fly Predators are effective primarily against house flies (Musca domestica) and stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans).
Fly Predators in nature live between 2 and 5 weeks depending on season, temperature, food availability, and humidity. The average life span is generally 3-4 weeks.
If you start Fly Predators on the recommended start date for your zip code, we expect fly populations to never build to a substantial level. If you are starting shipments late or already have a substantial fly problem, it could take up to 3 shipments of Fly Predators to bring pest fly populations under control. This is because Fly Predators are a fly preventative. Fly Predators kill developing flies, but do not affect adult pest flies that are already flying around.
Yes, the species included in Fly Predators do all reproduce. However, like in other predator/prey cycles, nature balances itself to always have an abundance of prey to sustain the predators that are there. Because of this, when not actively forced to stay above natural levels, populations quickly balance themselves out again. Our program is considered Augmentative Biological Control, because we are adding to naturally existing populations. Whether the Fly Predators are raised in the insectary or in the wild, they are all capable of reproduction; however, when fly populations start to drop, the parasitoids will begin actively leaving some fly pupae to ensure the next generation of their own offspring won’t starve. It’s one of the ways nature keeps everything in balance. Nature happy fly control doesn’t quite match up with human happy fly control though, so we use the augmentative releases to force the predator population to remain high, even as fly numbers begin to drop.
Yes, some Fly Predators will overwinter. Because Fly Predators are endemic to the US, they are well equipped for extreme temperatures. As fall approaches, some developing Fly Predators will go into diapause (similar to hibernation). Winter survival varies by species and severity of the winter and can range from 5% to 50% survival after 120 days.
When fly populations start to drop, Fly Predators will intentionally leave some fly pupae to ensure the next generation of their own offspring won’t starve. It’s one of the ways nature keeps everything in balance. Nature and people have different ideas about how many flies we’d like to have around, so we use augmentative releases to force the predator population to remain high even as fly numbers begin to drop. In addition to this, female Fly Predators only produce about 100 eggs in their lifetime compared to over 1,000 produced by female flies. Because of this, regular releases of Fly Predators are necessary to keep up with the faster production of pest flies.
Fly Predators are very tiny insects, so it’s hard for them to travel far. They are designed to search substrates for fly pupae and are poor fliers. Because of this, Fly Predators will only travel about 150ft from where they are released.
No, Fly Predators are very host-specific, meaning there are only a small number of fly species they can kill. Fly Predators are unable to kill any aquatic or semi-aquatic fly species such as mosquitoes, midges, horse flies, and deer flies.
Fly Predators themselves do not eat manure, so don’t leave any behind for them.
Generally, stalls are cleaned often enough to prevent fly development in stalls. We often see adult flies in stalls, as they like to come in out of the elements and are drawn to opportunities to feed themselves. Fly breeding more often takes place outdoors in areas where we cannot clean as well and where decaying organic material will be around long enough to support development. However, if stalls are lined with heavy mats that cannot easily be cleaned under, you may want to add a small pinch of Fly Predators to a corner of the stall when distributing.
Safety Concerns
No, Fly Predators do not bite, sting, or bother people or animals. Instead, they spend their time searching substrates for developing flies.
If any animal happens to eat a Fly Predator, it will cause them no harm. Fly Predators are not toxic, and it would be no different than an animal eating a mealworm or cricket.
The Fly Predators are native, so they are found naturally all over the United States and Canada.
No, Fly Predators are very host specific, meaning there are only a small number of fly species they can kill. Fly Predators are unable to harm bees of any species.
No, Fly Predators are naturally occurring throughout the continental United States, so they pose no risk to existing ecosystems.
No. Fly Predators are very host specific and are only capable of using a small number of fly species for their development. There is no risk of them ever becoming a parasite of any other species.
Factors Affecting Success
Generally, rain will not harm Fly Predators at all. Fly Predators are native to the US and are used to dealing with general weather conditions. If you will be having heavy rain with high run-off, try to disperse Fly Predators in areas that are not subject to flash flooding or standing water.
Chickens and other birds will readily eat the parasitized fly pupae that Fly Predators are shipped in. Once Fly Predators are hatched and dispersed, free-range chickens pose little risk. To protect the vulnerable pupae, coop your chickens prior to releasing Fly Predators and leave the birds cooped for 24-48 hours. Alternatively, you can also make a release station for your Fly Predators that keeps them out of the reach of the chickens until they hatch and disperse from the release station.
Generally, wind is not an issue for Fly Predators since they rarely take to the air. However, high straight-line winds over an exposed area could potentially cause some problems for Fly Predators that have not hatched. If you are expecting high winds, disperse the Fly Predators in sheltered areas or cover with a bit of loose earth.
If your spray system uses pesticides rather than repellent, it could kill Fly Predators released in the area receiving spray. Generally, however, most fly breeding takes place outside the barn in areas that are hard to clean or used to stockpile manure or discarded hay, which are the areas you most want to place Fly Predators. Most flies inside the barn have come in from the outside seeking food and shelter.
No, the use of feed through Insect Growth Regulators will not harm Fly Predators. The fly life cycle happens in 4 steps: egg, larva, pupa, adult. IGRs can be used as part of a complete Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. IGR’s such as Solitude, Altosid, and others, work by disrupting the larval stage of flies (maggots) when the larvae consume enough of the IGR. Any fly larvae developing in breeding sources not containing IGR (such as discarded hay) or in areas where the IGR may get diluted (manure piles) would not be affected by the IGR. Fly Predators attack the pupal stage of the fly and do not eat manure themselves, so they are unaffected by the IGR. Any fly larvae that survive to the pupal stage have not consumed enough IGR to be affected, making them a safe food and reproductive source for the Fly Predators. Fly Predators are an efficient means of preventing fly breeding in areas where the IGR is not effective.
Premise sprays can kill Fly Predators. Depending on the spray used, you would want to allow 2-7 days between the release of Fly Predators and using a premise spray. If the spray is only being used in targeted areas such as walls, it is unlikely to have any effect on the Fly Predators.
No, ant baits will not harm Fly Predators. Fly Predators ONLY feed and breed on fly pupae, so they will not consume any baits.
On–animal fly sprays can be used any time with Fly Predators. We recommend spraying animals in an area where Fly Predators are not released to prevent overspray from harming the Fly Predators.
Generally, Fly Predators are quite safe from being crushed. Areas to treat cautiously would be those areas with smooth concrete, as they could be crushed in those circumstances. On all other surfaces however, there is very little risk of the Fly Predators being crushed.
No. Nematodes used to control fleas do not pose a risk to Fly Predators.
Diatomaceous earth in its dry powder form can kill Fly Predators; however, once it has become wet it no longer poses a risk. Used as a feed through product, there is no risk to Fly Predators. If used as a dry topical application, a few days should be kept between DE application and FP application.
No, products like Sweet PDZ, barn lime, and other drying/antimicrobial products will not harm or kill Fly Predators.
It’s unlikely that flying critters such as swallows, bats, or dragonflies will ever come into contact with Fly Predators, because Fly Predators do not spend much time flying. Instead, they focus their time on searching through substrates for developing flies to eat and lay eggs on. Because of these general differences in habitat, Fly Predators are at minimal risk of being eaten by other beneficial animals.
Generally, no, they will not be carried away when cleaning up manure. Fly Predators feed and breed on the pupal stage of the fly. Fly larvae feeding on manure tend to move out to drier areas to pupate in the soil or nearby dry bedding. Because of this, Fly Predators are rarely if ever in fresh manure, so regularly cleaning fresh manure will not remove the Fly Predators from the area.
Shipments
You can slow down Fly Predator emergence by placing them in a cool location (around 50°F to 60°F).
Fly Predators take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to develop on average, depending on the average temperatures they are exposed to. When rearing Fly Predators, after they have laid eggs in the presented fly pupae, we incubate them for 1 to 2 weeks. When they travel through cool shipping conditions, their development is delayed, and they still take some time to hatch once they arrive to customers. However, in warm shipping conditions, they may begin hatching within a day or two of shipment and thus arrive to customers hatched and ready to put out upon arrival. Once Fly Predators do begin hatching, they can remain in the bag with NO ill effects for at least 10 days, so if a bag arrives already hatching and was shipped less than 10 days prior, there is no problem at all with many being hatched on arrival.
Yes! It’s ok if your Fly Predators are hatching on arrival or begin hatching heavily before you are able to distribute them. Ideally, you just want to spread your Fly Predators within 10 days of the first ones hatching.
The number is determined by weight, prior to the addition of the shavings. This is secondarily checked by random manual counts of packages. Packages of 5,000 that our entomologist has personally counted range from 5,500 to 6,500 total fly pupae (the little brown things). We use 3 different species in our mix. Two of the species lay only 1 egg per fly pupa, the other species can lay up to 10 eggs per fly pupa.
Bye Bye Insects Questions
Yes! Bye Bye Insects can be used on the whole family!
ALWAYS spot test first. Like people, individual horses may have sensitivities to some ingredients, so always spot test on any horse (regardless of age) to make sure they have no reactions. As long as they have no reactions to the spray, it can be used on equines of any age.
ALWAYS spot test first, hormones change things. Spot test on mom and baby before use on whole body. Do not use on udders or belly where the foal will nurse or be repeatedly rubbing it’s face while nursing. Essential oils can be irritating to eyes and mucus membranes, so you should not spray on the mare’s teats where the foal is sucking the whole thing in its mouth or on the hair around the udder where it will get rubbed into foal’s eyes during nursing.
We have not tested on animals other than equines and humans, so check with your veterinarian to ensure that none of the ingredients in Bye Bye Insects are harmful before using it on any other animal species.
Yes, Bye Bye Insects can stain light colored hair. The heavier molecule in Bye Bye Insects that slows down essential oils evaporation oxidizes when exposed to sunlight. This leads to a brown to yellow stain visible on lighter colored coats. Unfortunately, at this time, when we remove that ingredient, we lose 2-3 hours of efficacy. We will continue to explore options that may help us replace this ingredient.
Unfortunately, at this time we have not found anything that works well to quickly remove the stains. Stains will wear off within 3 weeks of discontinuing use.
Bye Bye Insects remains efficacious for a minimum of 2 years after packaging.
No, freezing will not affect the efficacy of Bye Bye Insects. Freezing will lead to more intense separation of ingredients, so any product that has been frozen should be shaken vigorously for at least 60 seconds once thawed.
High heat can increase how quickly the essential oils dissipate, thus leading to a slightly shorter shelf life. However, under most barn conditions, there is not a significant effect on shelf life.
No! Because Bye Bye Insects naturally separates when left to sit, this can lead to clogged spray systems. Also, the essential oils in Bye Bye Insects can cause irritation around eyes and mucus membranes, so it should only be used to spray directly on animals rather than used in a barn–wide mist system.
No, Bye Bye Insects is a repellent and will not kill Fly Predators.
Bye Bye Insects has been tested for efficacy against house flies (Musca domestica), stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans), mosquitoes (Aedes sp.), and deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis). We have received feedback from customers that it has also helped with horse and deer flies, midges, and gnats; however, this is anecdotal evidence only.
On average, you can expect Bye Bye Insects to last for about 5 hours against house flies, stable flies, and ticks and for about 3-4 hours against mosquitoes.
The ingredients in Bye Bye Insects will settle when left undisturbed with the essential oils mostly rising to the top and the aqueous base below. Because of this, Bye Bye Insects should be shaken vigorously prior to application to make sure it is well homogenized.
Yes, as a water-based formula, Bye Bye Insects can wash off in rain.
Yes! Children should not handle Bye Bye Insects so that they don’t accidentally get product in their eyes or mouth, which could burn. Adults should spray Bye Bye Insects into their hands and then wipe it over the child’s exposed skin, avoiding their face.
No, Bye Bye Insects should not be used as a premise spray. It is only registered for on–animal and human use.
Because we use essential oils, the color of the end product can vary slightly based on when the source plants are harvested and how they are processed. Bye Bye Insects should always be creamy with either a slight yellowish or slight greenish hue. If the product appears watery and translucent, this is an indicator that it should be shaken more vigorously to get the product well mixed.
Bye Bye Odor Questions
Bye Bye Odor is a microbial odor eliminator.
Bye Bye Odor removes biological odors caused by urine, feces, and sweat.
The microbes in Bye Bye Odor digest the organic compounds that cause odor, eliminating the source of the odor.
Bye Bye Odor can be used on bedding, bare ground, turf, fabrics, plastics, pretty much anything that is smelly.
Bye Bye Odor in a sealed container can last virtually indefinitely. Once the seal has been broken, Bye Bye Odor concentrate should be used within 2 years of breaking the seal. Once the concentrate has been mixed with water, the mixed product should be used within 60 days.
Spray Bottle Size | Amount of Bye Bye Odor concentrate to add to the bottle | ||||
Capfuls | Fluid Oz | Cups | Tablespoons | Teaspoons | |
4 gallons | 32 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 48 |
2 ½ gallons | 20 | 5 | ⅝ | 10 | 30 |
2 gallons | 16 | 4 | ½ | 8 | 24 |
1 ½ gallons | 12 | 3 | ⅜ | 6 | 18 |
1 gallon | 8 | 2 | ¼ | 4 | 12 |
½ gallon / 2 liter / 64oz | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | 6 |
56 oz | 3 ½ | ⅞ |
| 1 ¾ | 5 ¼ |
32oz | 2 | ½ |
| 1 | 3 |
24 oz | 1 ½ | ⅜ |
| ¾ | 2 ¼ |
16 oz | 1 | ¼ |
| ½ | 1 ½ |
We recommend using a new bottle that has not been used for any other product. Cleaning products such as bleach can kill the microbes in Bye Bye Odor, so it’s best to use a spray bottle that has not had any other chemicals in it.
No, Bye Bye Odor only removes odor. It will not remove stains.
You may need to mist an item daily for about 3 days to remove tough odors. We recommend misting daily after cleaning stalls.
Absolutely! Spot test first on any fabrics, but Bye Bye Odor can be used on carpets, dog beds, furniture, closets, sweaty shoes, and anything else that may get a little smelly around the house.
Yes, you can use Bye Bye Odor around small pets to help remove odors from cages, litter pans, and animal bedding.
Fly Traps & Other Product Questions
Odor Traps
Odor traps will attract and trap primarily house flies, blow flies, and flesh flies.
Odor traps should be hung at least 150ft from buildings or animals where you don’t want flies. Odor traps are attractant traps that draw flies to them, so make sure to use them to draw flies away from animals and buildings.
We recommend no more than 1-2 traps per acre. Because odor traps attract some species of flies that aren’t normally a problem, having too many traps out at one time can lead to additional fly problems.
The attractant in the odor traps is all the same, so you can choose trap designs that best suit your needs. The Terminator Pro is a reusable trap that you can empty when full and add fresh bait compared to the other odor traps which are all disposable, and you throw the trap and everything inside away when it gets full.
No, Fly Predators are not attracted to odor traps. On occasion, fungus gnats may be drawn into traps, but they are NOT Fly Predators.
Possibly, because odor traps only catch house flies, blow flies and flesh flies. If the flies you are having a problem with are another species such as stable flies, horse flies, or deer flies, then you would need a different type of trap for those flies.
Sticky Traps
The yellow EZ trap catches primarily house flies, as they are particularly attracted to the color yellow.
EZ traps should be hung indoors where flies are seen congregating. The yellow color of the trap is a close-range attractant, so only flies that can see the trap will be attracted to it and caught.
No, Fly Predators are not attracted to EZ Traps.
The Bite Free Trap attracts and traps biting stable flies.
Bite Free traps should be placed low to the ground in areas that receive good afternoon sunlight and are close to areas where the animals hang out, but out of reach of the animals themselves.
Bite Free Traps work by imitating animal body heat when sun passes through the trap material. This is why it’s important that the trap receive afternoon sunlight and is kept low to the ground.
No, Fly Predators are not attracted to the Bite Free Traps.
Possibly, because EZ traps only catch house flies and Bite Free traps only catch biting stable flies. If the flies you are having a problem with are another species such as horse flies or deer flies, then you would need a different type of trap for those flies.
Horse & Deer Fly Traps
The H-Trap catches flies in the family Tabanidae, which includes horse flies and deer flies.
The H-Trap should be installed close to where the horses are. Horse and Deer Flies see the infrared signature coming from horses from long distances away, so given the choice, the flies will travel towards areas with larger quantities of horses. Placement of the H-Trap near your animals drinking areas is often a good location.
Mosquito Torpedoes
The active ingredient in Mosquito Torpedoes is s-methoprene, which acts as an Insect Growth Regulator.
The s-methoprene in Mosquito Torpedoes prevents mosquito larvae from developing to their next life stage, essentially trapping them in their larval form until they die.
No, the presence of s-methoprene in water will not harm adult or larval honeybees should the bees gather water from the treated source.
Yes, water treated with Mosquito Torpedoes is safe for consumption by livestock and other animals.
Contact Our Team
Reach out with questions or for a free consultation: 1-888-880-1579
