• Hero Banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Buying or Selling a Practice
Hospital Design
Leadership & Personal Growth
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Technology
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Live Conferences
Conference News
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Catnip repels bloodsucking flies, study reports

January 10, 2011

Cattle and horses may find much-needed relief from flies with the help of the plant cats are crazy for.

The treat that cats can’t get enough of may serve a larger purpose than just keeping kitties (and their owners) entertained. According to a report published in the American Chemistry Society’s biweekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, catnip has proven 99 percent effective in repelling the bloodsucking flies that attack horses and cows. These flies cause $2 billion in annual losses to the cattle industry, the report states.

Stable flies not only inflict painful bites, they also transmit diseases. And cattle that are bothered by these bloodsuckers may produce less meat and milk, have trouble reproducing, and even develop fatal conditions. All traditional methods for controlling stable flies—heavy applications of powerful insecticides—have shown to be less than effective. So scientists turned to catnip oil, already known to repel more than a dozen families of insects, including house flies, mosquitoes, and cockroaches.

Advertisement

The researchers made pellets of catnip oil, soy, and paraffin wax and spread them in a cattle feedlot. Within minutes, the pellets shooed the flies away and repelled the flies for about three hours. Pellets without catnip oil had no effect. The scientists now are working on making the repellent last longer, which they say is the key to putting catnip to use in protecting livestock both in feedlots and pastures.

Related Content:

BusinessEquine
UC Davis corrects horse’s irregular heartbeat with electrical shock procedure
UC Davis corrects horse’s irregular heartbeat with electrical shock procedure
CityVet names new chief strategy officer
CityVet names new chief strategy officer
Hannah Pet Hospital names new CEO
Hannah Pet Hospital names new CEO

Advertisement

Latest News

Oldest aardvark in Europe passes away

Integrative approach to treating Giardia lamblia infections

Innovative digital microscopy platform is launched

Enhanced pet health and wellness app now available

View More Latest News
Advertisement