Warning issued over the high risk of blowfly strike in sheep

With the recent soaring temperatures, a warning has been issued by the National Animal Disease Information Service (NADIS) over the high risk of blowfly strike in sheep throughout the country.

The hot weather has meant that flockmasters have struggled to find shearers to clip their sheep, many of which have been ready to shear more than a fortnight early – and keepers have been warned to be on the lookout for both fly strike and maggot attack which can lead to a slow and painful death.

However, Professor Richard Wall from Bristol University said that the hot spell might actually be helping the situation, provided it remained dry.

He said: “While blowflies are very active in the recent hot weather, the risk of strike is lower than might be expected, particularly for shorn ewes, because it is too dry for the maggots to survive.”

And he added that it was also too hot and dry for the parasitic worm larvae on pasture which often led to scouring in lambs – one of the main factors that increase lamb susceptibility to blowfly strike.

However, he issued a serious warning that the strike risk would increase quickly once the dry weather broke.

“And so high levels of vigilance will be required,” said Wall.

The Blowfly Alert, published by NADIS is updated on a monthly basis throughout the season.