With the recent spell of showers combinig with warm temperatures, fly strike is inevitable. Althoug you may be using products for preventative measures, these products can be misleading. The lable on the product may say up to 8 weeks protection, this is in dry conditions. Frequent rain showers will actually reduce the residual value of the chemical applied to the fleece. Generally, if you have a wet summer, I find that the products prtection period is halved !!!
How do you spot fly strike??? It takes a few days for the maggot infestation to be visually recognisible, initially the ewes behaviour can become erratic. The ewe may hide away, or make short sharp darting runs, fierce rubbing on objects, continuously nibbling and biting herself. A real give away, is a group of flies continuously landing on the same small area of the ewe, this is because the maggots give off ammonia, attracting other flies to the area to lay their eggs. In severe infestations, the fleece may drop off, or bad sweaty staining may rise to the surface of the fleece. Eyes peeled folks !!!!
