Lily TynanAs the “horse-capital of the world,” Kentucky is home to a thriving population of horses – and a rampant population of flies. As a horse owner myself, there is nothing I care more about than the welfare and comfort of my horse, and flies are one of the greatest obstacles to care we face; they can cause painful bites, potentially transmit infection, and can cause horses to act out in unpredictable ways to get the pests off their bodies. In a state where horses are central to our identity and economy, addressing the fly problem is a matter of critical importance.
This year, I was selected as one of UK’s Summer Sustainability Research Fellows to take a closer look at the potential of using parasitoids – wasps that feed on fly larvae and pupae – to combat the abundance of flies on horse farms. Parasitoids provide a great alternative to some of the harsher methods of fly control like chemically spraying repellent which can have negative effects on the environment and people when inhaling these substances. They’re also more economically friendly!
My research is centered around the following questions:
- What type of flies are the most abundant on Kentucky horse farms?
- Is there parasitoid emergence in these locations?
- What kinds of parasitoids are present and how can we utilize this knowledge to create better biocontrol for stakeholders?
I have been setting out “traps” with active fly larvae and pupae populations at various fly-rich sites across three Kentucky farms – UK’s C. Oran Little Research Center, UK’s Maine Chance Farm, and Coolmore America – Ashford Stud.
These traps have been set out in hopes of seeing parasitoids attracted to the larvae and pupae. They are collected and replaced every week and then sorted to wait for emergence and identification. We have also been setting out sticky traps in these various locations to identify the predominant species of fly infestations on these farms. On a regular day, you can find me somewhere between these farms or in the lab, gel capping and looking under microscopes to identify the different species we have discovered!
I could not be more thankful for the support of my mentor, Dr. Hannah Tiffin, and Alexandra Pagac (USDA-ARS Mosquito and Fly Research Unit) who are assisting me with this project. Barry Duncil and Coolmore America, as well as the UK farm staff, have been excellent partners as well.
The key to fly control is knowing what you are dealing with. It would be incredible to see that we have a rampant parasitoid population in Kentucky so that we can present a better alternative to conventional pest control to horse owners of the Commonwealth.
