The manure and waste hay from a single feeding site can produce more than 1 million stable flies. On a smaller scale, the same thing happens on acreages or in backyards where manure and feces have piled up over the winter. Stable flies are also known as biting house flies and are slightly smaller than house flies.
Source: Beef, March 8, 2018.
Data from the “Managing Stable Fly Production at Pasture Feeding Sites,” publication by Alberto B. Broce, et al. show that “an 8-foot bale ring may only occupy 50 square feet of space, while the residue area of manure and waste hay may equal up to 50 feet beyond the edge of the bale ring with a total affected area of nearly 2,800 square feet.” This residue area can produce more than 1 million stable flies at a single feeding site.
INSIGHTS: The majority of stable fly production occurs in May and early June, so the feeding site must be cleaned up and waste removed before April 15.