The Hidden Herd Thieves: Biting Bugs - RDA 507
Flies, ticks, and parasites can quietly drain cattle performance—and your checkbook. From the Central Oklahoma Cattle Conference in Stillwater, the Red Dirt Agronomy Podcast crew sits down with Oklahoma State University Extension livestock entomology and parasitology specialist Jonathan Cammack to talk real-world pest pressure. The conversation covers horn flies and why they stress cattle, the latest screwworm concerns and how fast infestations can start, plus the invasive Asian longhorned tick now found in Oklahoma and why its “asexual” reproduction can make numbers explode. Producers will leave with a simple theme: steady observation, smart prevention, and fast action beat panic every time.
Red Dirt Agronomy Podcast · Dave Deken, Brian Arnall Ph.D., Josh Lofton Ph.D., Jonathan Cammack Ph.D.
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Show Notes
Flies, ticks, and parasites don’t just annoy cattle—they steal gain and profit. Recorded live at the Central Oklahoma Cattle Conference in Stillwater, OK, this episode features Dr. Jonathan Cammack (OSU Extension livestock entomology & parasitology) breaking down what producers should know about common pests like horn flies, how researchers test control tools, and why day-to-day management matters more than most folks think.
The team also tackles two headline issues: New World screwworm and the invasive Asian longhorned tick. Dr. Cammack explains why screwworm is such a serious wound pest, how sterile insect technique works, and why animal movement can spread risk faster than the fly ever could. Then they pivot east—where Asian longhorned ticks have been detected in Oklahoma—and discuss why explosive tick populations and tick-borne disease threats are a growing concern across the region.
Top 10 takeaways for producers
- Pests “steal” performance quietly—stress and blood-feeding divert energy away from gain.
- Screwworm isn’t a nuisance fly: it targets living tissue in wounds and can escalate fast.
- Time matters: screwworm eggs can hatch in 12–24 hours, so delayed checks can get costly.
- Animal movement beats fly movement—trailers move risk hundreds of miles in a day.
- Sterile insect technique works because females mate once; scale and logistics are the challenge during outbreaks.
- Asian longhorned tick can explode in numbers because it can reproduce without mating (parthenogenesis).
- High tick loads can cause real blood loss, and tick-vectored disease is a growing regional concern.
- Feedlots are a special concern due to animal density and the difficulty of visually monitoring every animal.
- Good management beats extremes: not “once a year,” not necessarily “daily,” but consistent eyes-on and quick response.
- Research behind the scenes is constant—colonies, susceptible/resistant strains, and field tests inform what works on your operation.
Detailed timestamped rundown
00:00–01:06 Dave Deken tees up Episode 507: flies, ticks, parasites; guest Dr. Jonathan Cammack; recorded at the Central Oklahoma Cattle Conference in Stillwater.
01:06–02:42 “Trip around the table” intros: Brian Arnall and Josh Lofton; setting the scene at the Payne County Expo Center.
02:42–06:56 Cammack’s role: OSU Extension livestock entomology/parasitology; what he covers across livestock species; why they keep fly colonies (houseflies, blowflies) for research and pesticide trials.
06:56–10:51 Colony realities: genetic bottlenecks, refreshing genetics from field populations; why “susceptible” vs “resistant” strains matter for chemical testing.
10:51–14:54 How trials work: planning population numbers; counting flies on cattle with visual estimates + photos; students doing image-based counts; “2000+” becomes the practical ceiling.
14:54–20:01 Screwworm basics: obligate parasite of living tissue; eggs hatch fast (12–24 hours); damage can be severe; regulatory questions around response/harvest are still evolving.
20:01–27:44 Control strategy: sterile insect technique; females mate once; sterile males overwhelm wild males; program history and why scaling facilities matters as the “front” widens northward.
27:44–30:40 Beyond cattle: wildlife, pets, and people can be affected; reminder that wildlife movement can complicate containment; key deer example in Florida Keys (2016–2017) discussed.
30:40–33:36 Other big concern: Asian longhorned tick found in northeast Oklahoma (summer 2024); parthenogenetic reproduction; potential for heavy infestations and disease-vector risk.
33:36–35:27 Wrap-up: “safe from the west (for now)” tone; thanks to guest; where to find resources (reddirtagronomy.com).
RedDirtAgronomy.com