We were recently contacted by an upstate South Carolina rancher about our use of Ecto-phyte and Neem oil for external parasite control. He asked what type of oil we mix with the Ecto-phyte and water, do we mix Neem oil and Ecto-phyte together, do we rotate the use of these topicals, is Neem used exclusively for lice and mite control and what mixing ratio do we use for the Neem oil spray.

My answers to him were as follows. We dissolved all natural liquid soap flakes in water and added it to the Ecto-phyte mix. Most of the time though, Don just shook the spray canister as he sprayed the cattle. We did mix the Neem oil and Ecto-phyte a few times, however now we just use the Neem for lice. If we notice a cow has hair loss due to lice, we put Neem on a disposable cloth and rub it on the affected area. This clears up the problem very quickly. We did rotate the use of these topicals, however we rarely use either now. Instead, we rely on our salt mix. As mentioned above, Neem oil is occasionally used for lice, however we did use it for flies as well by putting it on a cloth and making a swipe down the face. I couldn’t remember the mixing ratio of the Neem spray since we now douse a cloth straight out of the jug and apply it, however if we used it more often, we would mix it with water to make the oil last longer.

Now days, we mostly rely on our salt and mineral mixes for external and internal parasite control in conjunction with rotational grazing. The above topicals work until the animal sweats it off or it rains. I believe that the cattle do need access to the salt mix all the time for it to be effective though.

This rancher also asked about our mineral mix. He was adding diatomaceous earth to his mineral mix but was concerned that it would harm dung beetles, dung feeders and the fly predators that he applies to the manure piles so he asked about our experience adding diatomaceous earth to our salt mix. He also asked what role garlic powder played in our parasite control and how vinegar was administered in the mineral mix.

We use a custom salt mix that includes diatomaceous earth. Every once in a while, I scrape the top off of a manure pile and see that there are beetles/feeders in it. We seem to only have one type of dung beetle in the pasture, the dweller. The garlic is for external parasites and the sulfur of the garlic is secreted through the skin and eye fluids. The vinegar is in powder form, however I have heard from other producers that they pour vinegar directly in water tanks over a series of days.

Is this rancher’s concern about using diatomaceous earth in salt or mineral mixes unfounded? Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized remains of diatom shells. These shells are crushed and result in an abrasive, fine dust. Apparently this fine, abrasive dust pierces the bodies of internal parasites which makes them dehydrate and die. The concern is what does the dust do to the hosts internal organ linings and does the dust harm beneficial beetles living in, and off of, manure piles. If I understand correctly, diatomaceous earth comes in different grades and the lower grades can pass harmlessly through cattle. After passing through cattle or other animals, diatomaceous earth then becomes harmless to manure inhabitants. What are your thoughts? Do you use diatomaceous earth and also have a dung beetle population? If so, what type of beetle do you have? Dwellers, tunnelers or rollers? What other insects are inhabiting the manure in your pastures?