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Publication #ENY279

Self-Treatment Methods for Livestock -- Backrubbers1

P. G. Koehler and J. F. Butler2

Backrubbers are another method of insecticide self-treatment for cattle. Cattle which are bothered by insects tend to rub against objects. By providing devices soaked with insecticides, cattle may kill horn flies and lice themselves by self-treatment. Backrubbers may be purchased commercially or constructed from easily available supplies. Any properly designed backrubber which supplies insecticides reliably to the animals is suitable for use.

Correct location of the backrubber is important. Backrubbers should be placed where animals move to and from, such as between mineral or salt stations, or watering areas and pasture. Underbrush will often compete with backrubbers, and locations with shrubs should be avoided. Placement of devices between feed, water or supplement improves fly control.

Materials Needed for a Cable-Type Backrubber

  • 2 - four inch eyelets or eye bolts

  • hog rings and pliers, as needed

  • 15-20 ft 9 gauge wire or chain

  • 18-20 burlap bags (new or used)

  • 2 - 8' x 6" diameter posts, pressure treated or creosoted

  • 30-40 - 15" strands binder twine

  • 20-25 - 12" strands baling wire

Construction of Backrubbers

  1. Attach bags lengthwise on chain using hog rings at 10" intervals (Figure 1).

  2. Roll bags tightly and tie securely with binder twine.

  3. Wrap the rolled bags with a second layer of burlap overlapping the area between bags as shown.

  4. Twist baling wire every 8 inches along the backrubber. Clip the wires and push the cut ends into the burlap.

  5. Hang the rubber between posts so it will sag to within 1-1½ feet off the ground.

Figure 1. 

Construction of backrubbers.

Use of Backrubbers

Pour one gallon of a recommended insecticide evenly on 15-20 feet of a burlap backrubber. Retreat backrubber every 2-3 weeks. One backrubber should be available for every 50-75 animals.

Wettable powder formulations are not suitable for backrubber use. Oils suitable for dilution of concentrates are fuel oil, diesel oil, or kerosene. A one-gallon oil can works well for applying insecticides to the backrubber. Consult the Florida Insect Control Guide for recommended insecticides.

Footnotes

1.

This document is ENY-279 (IG134), one of a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Revised: June 1999. Reviewed: December 2005. Please visit the EDIS Website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

P. G. Koehler and J. F. Butler, professor, Entomology and Nematology, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer, Interim Dean.


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