Strike now against blowflies

Each case of strike will increase the risk to the rest of the flock by increasing the blowfly population in the area
Each case of strike will increase the risk to the rest of the flock by increasing the blowfly population in the area

Farmers waiting to see instances of blowfly strike in their area before taking action are advised to urgently consider preventative treatment, as conditions become ideal for fast and potentially devastating cases of strike to occur.

Blowflies will be seen every year and have already been reported on farms across the UK and

Ireland, however despite the slow start to the season the blowfly population will have been steadily increasing. Coupled with recent warm temperatures, the next few weeks may prove critical for many farmers wishing to prevent multiple cases of strike in their flock.

Matt Blyth, who manages a flock of 1700 in Sussex, said: “We usually see cases of strike towards the beginning and end of the season; however this year has been especially unpredictable due to unsettled weather patterns, almost the complete opposite to 2014. We are also seeing a lot of variation in worm counts and rapid periods of grass growth, both of which are factors which will impact the frequency and severity of blowfly strike.”

Each case of strike will increase the risk to the rest of the flock by increasing the blowfly population in the area. Once struck, an animal can die quickly or suffer a dramatic effect on growth rate as well as damage to both hide and fleece causing further loss.

Matt Blyth continues: “In the past, we have had bad damage to lambs as a result of blowfly strike and know all too well the potential consequences gambling with treatment times. Because of this, we have decided to prevent earlier this year, when lambs are between 6 – 8 weeks old (20kg plus), to avoid being caught out. We use a narrow-spectrum preventative treatment, dependent on the weight of the lamb and considering meat withhold times. I choose this method of treatment because I can be sure that once applied my sheep are protected for a period of time.”

Fly strike can be prevented through the use of preventative treatment products. Using an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) with FleeceBind™ technology offers protection against fly strike by ensuring the treatment first spreads, and binds strongly to the fleece, providing full fleece protection.*

CLiK® and CLiKZiN® are the only products with FleeceBind technology. CLiK provides the longest duration of cover at 16 weeks, which minimises labour requirements for farmers and CLiKZiN offers farmers greater flexibility when marketing lambs with its 7-day short meat withhold.

Fiona Lovatt, Senior Vice President of the Sheep Vet Society said: “Every case of fly strike on a farm has a significant cost to both finances and welfare, but cases of fly strike do not have to be inevitable.

With the right strategy and the right products in place at the right time of year, the risk of fly strike is dramatically reduced.

“Blowfly strike is a disease which should always be controlled by taking appropriate preventative action and best practice can be based on a three-tier strategy: prepare, predict, prevent.”