[Foobar]

Be on alert for Bank Holiday maggots, you know they always strike just when you've made plans to go out for the day!


I just had my first strike of the year, on a tail, a very very clean tail. Looks like just an isolated patch though so she'll heal up quick enough.  And all the others have been re-Crovect'd just in case.  Oh the joys of sheep keeping!

[moony]

We have had an absolute nightmare the last fortnight with them on a large number of ewes and lambs. All were clean as well. Never had a problem in the past but this year we have lost a few and it has just been awful.

[Foobar]

The last week or so here has just been rain then sun rain then sun over and over. Fly heaven.

[Treud na Mara]

Well it makes a change from Bank Holiday drains - we had a main (sewage) one that always used to 'back up' and need rodding over the hottest Bank Holidays.

[ScotsGirl]

I had it the other day on a poorly and watched in horror at all the flies around tonight. Should still be covered with clik but doesn't help me stop worrying.

[twizzel]

We have had it for the first time ever too this year, had one go down with it the week he was due for crovect again.

[JulieWall]

There is a certain kind of weather that the flies just love, it's hard to describe but I can always tell, still evenings after showers on a warm, but not hot, day. It surprised me to learn how many types of blowfly there are, those around our area seem to be the small brown ones.
I never dip or use preventatives as we have such a small flock that unusual behaviour is easy to spot, the sheep start twitching and looking at the itchy spot as soon as any eggs hatch. I do keep a bottle of spot-on for established fly strike just in case, although it is almost out of date now. The worst sheep for fly strike we ever had never had a dirty bum, the flies used to lay on a waxy area of skin on her lower back. I used to refer to it as 'Hattie's diner' because the flies just made a bee line for it.
An old shepherd I know told me that heavy showers will sort out fly strike, has anyone else heard of this too? Can't say I would trust that to work, but it is interesting nonetheless.

[Garmoran]

An old shepherd I know told me that heavy showers will sort out fly strike, has anyone else heard of this too? Can't say I would trust that to work, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Rain can kill off fly -strike, as at times I have found animals which carried signs of strike which had died out. But I think it would have to be cold and persistent rain, rather than showers, followed by at least a few days of chilly weather, and would depend very much on the type of fleece that the sheep had.

[EP90]

We have had it for the first time ever too this year, had one go down with it the week he was due for crovect again.

I’ve seen this comment many times and wonder if the recommended treatment interval is too long?
What would be the danger of shortening the period by say 7/14 days, if it fell in a high risk period of flies. ?

[twizzel]

Not sure but definitely something to look into. We have in the past been lucky but out of 39 lambs in 3 seasons he was the first to get it. Coincidentally our neighbour also had it on one of her Shetlands but until it was treated they hadn't had any preventative. 

I would be tempted to try Clik next year but the long withdrawal really puts me off.

[shep53]

I would be tempted to try Clik next year but the long withdrawal really puts me off.

   Why is this a big issue , depends where you are in the country for flys  , for me early season not a problem  ,  so lambs born apr/may are all cliked by mid june this gives protection up to late sept , if for some reason  they need more cover clikzin gives another 8wks only 7 days wd  .   mid june plus 40 days = late july and since I don't start selling until early sept not a problem

[Hellybee]

Same as Shep here,if you not selling til autumn it doesn't matter.   Finding click very good, we did run out of Clik at last spray time and used crovect on some, we now doing the the remaining ones with Clik tomoz.  Clik all the way now for lambs. 


Have had a few in the last day or two, hence the alarm bells, also we wean tomorrow. 

[babysham]

Mine are Spot-on'd as couldn't get Crovect but there are still flys around them so have been going out in the evening and taking a couple of handful of nuts as walk round them as they are eating spraying where I can with diluted Jeyes Fluid and seems to be helping.