General Release Information
FlyRaptorsTM Are Live Insects
FlyRaptors is our registered trade-name for our special mix of fly parasites.
Fly parasites are shipped while they are still feeding and growing inside the fly pupa,
which is their natural food. Once they are fully grown, they will "hatch" through a tiny
exit hole leaving an empty shell behind. Please realize that cold temperatures will slow
the insects’ development and warm temperatures will speed them up. Ideally, your insects
should begin to hatch as soon as you receive them. However, due to our inability to control their
temperature while they are in transit, we ship the parasites at a
point in their development so the hatch occurs up to several days following delivery. Keep the
closed bag in a warm room until you notice some parasites moving around inside then release
as instructed. An ideal temperature for hatching of fly parasites is 70 to 80 degrees.
Do not leave the parasites in direct sunlight or intense heat.
Summer-time shipments may often bring insects that have been warmed enough to cause an early
hatch. This should not present a problem and simply means that your fly control agents are
ready to get to work.
If the hatch has not yet begun and conditions require delaying the distribution of the fly parasites,
you may slow down the hatch by holding them at a cool temperature of 40-50 degrees for up to
24 hours then moving them back into the ideal temperature. (Do not refrigerate as
this can draw moisture from the pupae and damage the fly parasites within.) This simple method
will slow the insects' development considerably and can retard their hatch by as much as a week.
FlyRaptor Release Instructions
The best time to start releasing is when some of the parasites have hatched in the bag. Keep the closed
bag in a warm room out of the sun until you notice some parasites moving around inside. Release
fly parasites in all manure areas- inside barns, paddock areas, feed bunks and loafing
areas. Release them along fence lines, near corral posts and around the perimeter of manure piles,
pits or bins. Also release around water troughs, rotting hay and feed, compost piles, drainage
sites, kennels and any other sites where livestock droppings accumulate.
Although FlyRaptors are flying insects that can self distribute 300 to 600 feet,
do not release them all in one spot. Sprinkle your FlyRaptors sparsely over the entire
fly-breeding area. Directly distributing them in areas where they are needed
will allow them to attack the problem areas more quickly and in greater numbers.
If direct sunlight, ants, wild birds or chickens are able to kill or eat the pupae
from which the FlyRaptors hatch, cover the pupae with a small amount of soil or organic matter. If you prefer, you may place a portion of the fly
pupae in hatching stations and hang them up in the release areas. Please see the hatching station page
available by clicking on the menu item at the left of the screen. The insects, when hatched, will exit from
these containers and migrate to fly-breeding areas. This is also the best method for inside a barn area.
Fly parasites are highly susceptible to poisonous residues left by many of the more common sprays. Their
use should be discontinued in the release areas. Chemical insecticides should be aimed at the adult
fly population away from the breeding areas where parasites are at work. They should be used in
areas where flies congregate, such as rafters in the evening, fence rails and barn sides in the
morning sunshine and shady places in the heat of the day.
Fly traps and good manure management are ideal methods of enhancing your EcoLOGICAL Control Program.
Adult flies can migrate 1/4 of a mile or so in one day. If your neighbors are also experiencing a fly
problem you may wish to introduce them to EcoLOGICAL Fly Control. This will be to your benefit as
well as theirs.
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