Blow flies (Lucila Cuprina)

Life Cycle

1.Adult fly lays eggs on sheep

  1. Eggs hatch into First stage larva (maggots)

Attractants on sheep required

Requires a protein feed

Moisture

  1. Drop into environment and forms a pupae

Source protein from skin on animal

May remain as a pupae for months until preferable conditions (Warm/Moist)

  1. Develop into flies and seek a host to lay their eggs on
    (Can be a primary strike or secondary strike)

requires no wind

cant travel long distances

Lays 2 -3 batches of 50 - 250 eggs

Epidemiology

Attractants

Dags

Dermatitis

Fleece rot

Lumpy wool

Predisposed in wrinkled wool

Wrinkles maintain moisture

Provide environment away from sunlight

Range of bacteria

Dermatophilus congolensis

Cuts and wounds

Shearing cuts

reduce wool therefore reduce risk

however infected wounds become attractants

Wrinkled sheep cut more wool economic balancing act

Predisposed if diarrhoea (worm burden)

Climate

Wet conditions

warm

Not windy (makes it hard for flies to reach target)

micro environment created by diarrhoea

Rain

Treatment/Prevention

Treatment

Managment

Shear good margins around effected area and remove wool as to not contaminate environment

Some chemicals contain insect growth regulators and target the lifecycle of the insects

Consider costs and effective method

Just kill maggots on sheep at time $0.50

Usually spring summer

Mulesing

Methods

Clips -> not commercially viable

Intradermal injections -> Death of hair follicle -> may have to give multiple injections

Accredited mulesing operaters

tri-solfen -> Analgesia for mulesing -> application on wound -> provides analgesia for a few days

Buccalgesic -> rapid onset longer acting -> oral administration

Genetic selection

Leave to dry and apply chemical to kill maggots and repel flies

Long acting $1.50