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. 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. This simple method will slow the insects' development considerably and can retard their hatch by as much as a week.

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.

Do not release your Fly Parasites all in one spot. Sprinkle them sparsely over the entire fly-breeding area. If direct sunlight, ants, wild birds or chickens are able to kill or eat the parasites, cover the pupae with 1/4" 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 BioLOGICAL 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 BioLOGICAL Fly Control. This will be to your benefit as well as theirs.