[SallyN]

Getting a bit twitchy with all this warm weather that flies will be starting early this year.

Anyone started treating with Crovect/Clik yet? Just wondering if it's me being paranoid or a genuine thing I need to be concerned about

[bj_cardiff]

I think it depends on when your planning on shearing, I think Crovect lasts for 6 weeks? So you could spray now and shear in early June. It can't be good for the shearer to be handling so much fleece if the Crovect is still doing its job, makes me itch just thinking about it!

[SallyintNorth]

I think it depends on when your planning on shearing, I think Crovect lasts for 6 weeks? So you could spray now and shear in early June. It can't be good for the shearer to be handling so much fleece if the Crovect is still doing its job, makes me itch just thinking about it!

Yes, shearers who know about it stipulate at least 4 months between Crovecting and shearing.  And if you sell your fleeces for crafting, you would need to say that they’d been Crovected.

However, nothing to stop you Crovecting lambs, and adult sheep shouldn’t succumb to flies provided they are clean, fit, and have appropriate conditions (including shade and shelter where they can escape the flies.)

[twizzel]

Ewes would be more at risk here as in full fleece. That said there’s not many flies out at the moment and the nights are quite cold. Give it a month and we will aim to shear the ewes and lambs will probably get Clik.

[SallyintNorth]

Ewes would be more at risk here as in full fleece. That said there’s not many flies out at the moment and the nights are quite cold. Give it a month and we will aim to shear the ewes and lambs will probably get Clik.

I’m “here” now too, twizz .

Maybe I’m going to get taught a lesson, but my experience is that it’s most often lambs or sickly ewes that get struck.  Healthy, clean adults kept in appropriate conditions are considerably less at risk, even in full fleece.  I realise that for some, even a lesser risk is not worth taking, and also that not everyone has ground available to their sheep which is suited to the avoidance of flies.

[twizzel]

2 years ago I had a ewe in full fleece struck around 10th May, seemingly healthy and had a good set of twins on her. She was crutched out pre lambing and was struck between her shoulders and down her sides    by that point in May the lambs don’t seem to have much fleece but I spray them with Clik around the same time the ewes are shorn (mid May).

[PipKelpy]

Earliest we've sheared is April as the Greyfaced Dartmoors i had decided to get bad flystrike. I'm licensed for sheep dip but a few years ago started using crovect, for me a complete waste of time as the instructions state down back and down rump yet flies like to go on shoulders, under bellies etc. You name it, we've had maggots there! Dipping is too much of fath now so I am a firm believer of BlowFly Repel, the natural stuff! And, it's cheaper to use the horsey version believe it or not and it has added conditioner in it! I've recently had to reduce the sheep so I still swear by it. The cattle also get it sprayed onto them. In summer I spray it on my own arms. We all smell of citriodol.

[SallyintNorth]

How often do you find you need to use Blow Fly Repel?  I used to use flytraps and Naff Off against headflies where I was in Cumbria, and found the citronella did work but needed to be repeated pretty much every other day.

[twizzel]

Once a week? I used it when my Clik ran out at the end of September and we had a couple of warm weeks, it does discolour the fleece temporarily but seems to keep the flies off. I wouldn’t rely on it though in peak season though and it is expensive if you’ve got more than a handful of sheep

[crobertson]

We did ours a couple of weeks ago. They might not need it but I'd rather have them protected as flystrike is the one thing I hate the most and some days have been surprisingly warm.

We used Crovect and may use a repeat dose to last until shearing. Clik after shearing. I have fingers crossed for a flystrike free year 

[PipKelpy]

Sallyinthenorth


Just read your question. I found it depends on the weather. The bottle does state that it won't hold up to major rains so it advises using the sheep dip version. However, that's another purchase. I compared the ingredients and from what I gathered, citriodiol is the active ingredient in a lot of the Barrier stuff. It's not citronella! I thought it was, but Google it, it's completely different! The cattle get bothered by horseflies and sheep get blowflies and call me tight, but if there is 1 product that's safe for all that will do the same job, then why not? Besides, last summer after quite a lot of "persuasion" and firm talking, the cattle shone! Will be doing the same this year! I've had maggots on maggots on some badly struck sheep and this stuff is deemed mild but strong enough and to spray the little b******s and watch them fall off the sheep makes me feel better. I had a neighbour's sheep here last year, wild little blighters, not a cat in hells chance to get near them and they had been dipped! Just a few days after the end of the coverage time and one lamb was looking rather down. I had to drive all sheep to the buildings for one mad hatter (mine, grab in the field), it was full of maggots. Neighbour came to shear it and by the time we'd finished it took a lot of barrier spray to 'empty' out the crawlies as they were under the skin. I resprayed it for the next few days. Now, just when it was recovering, flies started laying eggs again on it as the wound smell must have been too strong for the citriodiol to tackle. By then, the owner was back, he took it home and sprayed sheep dip over it. It did live.