AMES, Iowa – Just as insects can enter homes, they can enter livestock barns. Insects can be harmful for swine and can create a large loss for producers when sending the animals to the packing plants. It is never too early to start planning how to manage insects.

A new publication from the Iowa Pork Industry Center, Integrated Pest Management in Swine Production Facilities, focuses on management practices that can help producers mitigate insects. Iowa State University extension swine veterinarian Chris Rademacher is one of the authors. He explained the importance of planning for these pests before they become a problem.

“Part of the motivation for putting this document together was to help producers think through a more comprehensive approach to insect pest management and how it needs to be thought about well in advance of marketing pigs,” he said.

Outside of the barns producers should focus on grass, trees, ponds, and building a rock perimeter. Specific structures within the barns also can play a key role in insect attraction including light fixtures, curtains that may catch water, and sprinklers or any potential leaking water sources. It is important to understand which insects are causing issues, in order to seek professional help as needed to determine these proper mitigation responses.

“We were fortunate to bring together strategies from entomologists, pest management experts, agricultural engineers, and producers to develop a best practices document based on the life cycles of the insect that create issues for swine producers,” Rademacher said. “This information can help producers develop comprehensive plans based on the integrated pest management approach.”

The other authors of the publication are Laura Greiner, associate professor of animal science at ISU; Brett Ramirez, associate professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering at ISU; and Lee Cohnstaedt, Research Entomologist at USDA Agricultural Research Service.    

The publication IPIC 209A is available at no charge from the ISU Extension store.

This article was written by IPIC student communications assistant Lauren Beyer.

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IPIC was established in 1994 as a coordinated effort of the colleges of Agriculture (now Agriculture and Life Sciences) and Veterinary Medicine at ISU. Its mission is to promote efficient pork production technologies in Iowa, maintain Iowa's pork industry leadership and strengthen rural development efforts. IPIC focuses its efforts on programs that are integral and complementary to ISU Extension and Outreach. Through IPIC, Iowa producers receive accurate and timely information to make their operations more efficient and profitable.