[Jukes Mum]

Following on from trish.farm's warning for blowfly, I have just been out to buy some crovect. They only had huge 5l packs of Crovect, but they said that the Ecofly is exactly the same (and cheaper).
I recall a thread last year (sorry, I'm not sure how to link a thread; see if this works?
http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=59165.msg495149#msg495149) saying that Ectofly was a different chemical and not as effective.

The NOAH Compendium says they are both 1.25%/12.5mg/ml cypermethrin. 
Does anyone have any thoughts/experience with Ectofly?

[farmershort]

we've not had sheep since 2008, and when we did it was in leicestershire.... but....

the feeling of our local neighbours and ourselves was that crovect was pretty ineffective at that time, having got worse and worse over the years.

I've since been on farms that swear by that spot-on for sheep stuff.... and others that prefer the Vetrazin option... I think they were both at the more expensive end of the market though.

There's probably also factors around meat withdrawal periods which you should make sure you're familiar with (i.e. min time till slaughter).

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I remember an old farmer which used to dip his sheep in a special chemical, can't tell you what it was though, but very dangerous! They really stank of it and I remember he used to tell us never to touch them afterwards as it was highly toxic.

[twizzel]

we've not had sheep since 2008, and when we did it was in leicestershire.... but....

the feeling of our local neighbours and ourselves was that crovect was pretty ineffective at that time, having got worse and worse over the years.

I've since been on farms that swear by that spot-on for sheep stuff.... and others that prefer the Vetrazin option... I think they were both at the more expensive end of the market though.

There's probably also factors around meat withdrawal periods which you should make sure you're familiar with (i.e. min time till slaughter).

Crovect is very effective at treating flystrike and is great used as a preventative providing you reapply every 6 weeks and apply it properly. We use it rather than clik due to the short meat withdrawal and found that as long as you apply every 6 weeks on the nose you should be fine- any longer than that and you risk strike.

[farmershort]

we've not had sheep since 2008, and when we did it was in leicestershire.... but....

the feeling of our local neighbours and ourselves was that crovect was pretty ineffective at that time, having got worse and worse over the years.

I've since been on farms that swear by that spot-on for sheep stuff.... and others that prefer the Vetrazin option... I think they were both at the more expensive end of the market though.

There's probably also factors around meat withdrawal periods which you should make sure you're familiar with (i.e. min time till slaughter).

Crovect is very effective at treating flystrike and is great used as a preventative providing you reapply every 6 weeks and apply it properly. We use it rather than clik due to the short meat withdrawal and found that as long as you apply every 6 weeks on the nose you should be fine- any longer than that and you risk strike.

Yes that could well have been our problem with it I think - not applying it often enough. I seem to remember trying to work out the cost/benefit difference between crovect and vetrazin and I imagine the longer lasting effect of the latter won over.

It was a while ago though, so just intended to be a pointer to further research.

[Fleecewife]

I remember an old farmer which used to dip his sheep in a special chemical, can't tell you what it was though, but very dangerous! They really stank of it and I remember he used to tell us never to touch them afterwards as it was highly toxic.

Probably an Organophosphate.  You need a license to use it.  Many farmers are sensitized to it, some have developed depression as a result of exposure and it's beyond awful for the environment. Back in the day tough guy farmers didn't think they needed to take precautions or wear all that protective kit, or bother disposing of any left over in a safe manner  .

No chemicals are perfect, but Crovect seems to be one of the more benign ones.

[Marches Farmer]

We don't treat the ewes until after shearing - not nice for the shearer.  Clik is effective for 16 weeks.  We apply when the fleece is 1cm long, about a month after shearing, so it lasts until Autumn and I don't have to reapply.

[shep53]

No chemicals are perfect, but Crovect seems to be one of the more benign ones.

                                                                                                                                                                  IF you look at CYPERMETHRIN  toxicity in humans / aquatic life /insects (bees)  might not seem so benign

[Fleecewife]

No chemicals are perfect, but Crovect seems to be one of the more benign ones.

                                                                                                                                                                  IF you look at CYPERMETHRIN  toxicity in humans / aquatic life /insects (bees)  might not seem so benign

How does this manifest itself Shep53 ie what are the symptoms of toxicity to wildlife and the environment?  Which then is a 'good' chemical to use, or is there no such thing?

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I think to some degree all chemicals are bad for the enviroment, it all really depends on pollution, IE disposing of them correctly. The danger with exposing the animals to these chemicals is that over time they can build up a resistance to them, or so I have been told. How many times in a year do you crovect them? Also if you dont mind mevasking which is the most effective for keeping away the blowfly? Because I am rather confused with all the different brands out there.

[Fleecewife]

I've never before found what the active ingredient in Crovect is, so I'm quite shocked to find it's a synthetic pyrethroid.  When these first appeared, they were the saviour following the disfavour of organophosphates, but now they seem to be just as bad.  No wonder they were so cagey on the bottle.  I'm sorry that I have previously recommended it.

[Slimjim]

As I have said on here before,I have used Crovect for 5 years and never had fly strike. However, since it works only where it is applied, I don't use their spray gun to apply a strip here and there. The correct quantity can be applied using rapid sweeps with a kitchen cleaner spray bottle to cover almost the whole animal.
I was told by a Clik sales rep that Clik can be applied as a strip along the sheep's back and down either side of the tail and is effective because it migrates through the fleece to protect all of it. I also wait until two weeks after shearing.

[Jukes Mum]

Thanks for all of your thoughts, but has anyone used Ectofly?

[twizzel]

I think to some degree all chemicals are bad for the enviroment, it all really depends on pollution, IE disposing of them correctly. The danger with exposing the animals to these chemicals is that over time they can build up a resistance to them, or so I have been told. How many times in a year do you crovect them? Also if you dont mind mevasking which is the most effective for keeping away the blowfly? Because I am rather confused with all the different brands out there.

Depending on the weather- first application in late May, last one end of aug/beginning sept should see them through. So for the lambs staying right through to November maybe 3 times? Some of our lambs will only have 2 applications. A 2l bottle of Crovect will last us the season with 15 lambs and still have a little left over.

[trish.farm]

yep I used ectofly last autumn and had no problems with it.  Same ingredient as crovect.  I have used Molevalleys own stuff this week instead of crovect, Moleecto, it was £30 cheaper than crovect for 5 litres.  It is exactly the same stuff, just bottles under Mole Valley name. 

I normally use crovect or substitute in early April depending on the weather, then Clic on the lambs in May when the girls are shorn, then Clic on the girls when they have grown about a months worth of wool. 

Crovect or substitute again 16 weeks later to cover them for Autumn. 

Havent had fly strike for years, this is the first year I didn't do the early crovect and got struck!!