Never Pour Cold Water on Pigs in Midsummer; Try These Methods to Keep Mosquitoes and Flies Away

Midsummer, also known as the second month of summer, is the hottest time of summer. At this time pigs often pant and gasp from the heat. Some pig farmers, worried that their pigs will suffer heatstroke, pour cold water over them, but this is actually wrong. So, why is it strictly forbidden to pour cold water on pigs in midsummer?

1. Why is it strictly forbidden to pour cold water on pigs in midsummer?

1. Pigs can also suffer heatstroke, especially in midsummer. Because pigs do not sweat effectively and the heat in their bodies cannot be released for a time, they suffer heatstroke. If cold water is poured on them at this point, the strong cold stimulus causes the sweat pores all over the pig's body to contract sharply, the release of body heat is blocked, and the body temperature instead rises abruptly. In mild cases this causes high fever and lung inflammation in the pig, and in severe cases it leads to death. Therefore, pouring cold water on pigs is strictly forbidden in midsummer.

2. If the weather is truly scorching, water that has been warmed in the sun to a suitable temperature can be lightly sprinkled on the pigs to cool them down; the pigs can be driven to a well-ventilated, shady place and some cold water sprinkled on the ground so they can lie quietly and rest on it; a pit can also be dug inside the pig pen and filled with cool well water for the pigs to “wallow in the mud”; water curtains, air coolers, electric fans and spray systems can also be used to cool the pigs.

2. How do you keep mosquitoes and flies away when raising pigs in midsummer?

Summer is peak season for mosquitoes and flies. If pigs are bitten by mosquitoes and flies over a long period, they are prone to disease. Here are several methods to keep mosquitoes and flies away:

Method 1. Install window screens: fitting screens on the windows of the pig farm can reduce the entry and exit of mosquitoes and flies.

Method 2. Clean the pig house: promptly clean out pollutants, manure and so on from the pig house, which can effectively reduce the number of mosquitoes and flies.

Method 3. Clear weeds: weeds are where mosquitoes rest during the day. Clearing the weeds inside the pig farm leaves mosquitoes nowhere to hide.

Method 4. Spread quicklime: quicklime can disinfect and also kill mosquitoes and flies. Pig farmers can spread some quicklime on manure piles to achieve the effect of repelling and killing mosquitoes and flies.

Method 5. Use mosquito-killing lamps: set up mosquito-killing lamps inside the pig house, or install ultraviolet mosquito-repellent lamps, or use special fly incense, mosquito coils and so on, which can attract and kill mosquitoes.

Method 6. Use insecticides: add cyromazine-type insecticides to the feed to effectively kill fly larvae and control fly breeding; apply pesticide to stagnant water to kill mosquito eggs so that mosquitoes are killed before they become adults.

Method 7. Plant mosquito-repellent plants: plant some plants with a mosquito-repellent effect in the open areas of the pig farm, such as mint, mugwort and so on. The scent given off by their leaves can drive mosquitoes and flies away, will not harm the pigs, and can also purify the air and beautify the environment.

Summary: Midsummer is the hottest time of year, and pigs pant and gasp from the heat. Pig farmers, afraid that their pigs will suffer heatstroke, want to pour cold water on them, but this practice is actually wrong and can cause the pigs to run a fever or die. Midsummer is also peak season for mosquitoes and flies. If pigs are bitten by mosquitoes and flies over a long period, they are prone to disease. The seven methods above for keeping mosquitoes and flies away can protect pigs from their bites.