Warble fly

L1985

He guys. Just wondering what people are using to dose cattle with for the Warble fly? ours are being driven cracked at the moment and looking for some ideas of what people used? The pour on we used noromectin doesn't seem to be working and the cattle are being driven into the yards they are so miserable with it. any suggestions?

frogloch

L1985 wrote: »

He guys. Just wondering what people are using to dose cattle with for the Warble fly? ours are being driven cracked at the moment and looking for some ideas of what people used? The pour on we used noromectin doesn't seem to be working and the cattle are being driven into the yards they are so miserable with it. any suggestions?

Are you sure you're talking about a warble (gad) fly? These are flies that lay eggs on the backs of cattle, then the eggs hatch out and the larvae burrow under the skin of the poor unfortunate animal to pupate and turn into a fly and burrow out again. I thought the dept schemes in 60's,70's,80's, got rid of them? I hope you're talking about the horse fly who lands on any animal with blood and injects an anticoagulant serum into the animal and drinks their blood. If you are talking about the horse fly I use Osmonds Ezeepour for the control of lice and flies.

L1985

Well we have always called it the warble fly- the cows are running with their tails up. I don't think it's a horsefly but being honest wouldn't be an expert in flies....
Is there anyway to know?havnt seen any larvae left on cattles backs but would depend on how big it is as mightn't see it. I might look into that treatment then-they in are bits this year.

Auldloon

Warble fly was eradicated in Ireland in the 1960's thankfully. Oops it seems this isn't correct, my bad.

frogloch

L1985 wrote: »

Well we have always called it the warble fly- the cows are running with their tails up. I don't think it's a horsefly but being honest wouldn't be an expert in flies....
Is there anyway to know?havnt seen any larvae left on cattles backs but would depend on how big it is as mightn't see it. I might look into that treatment then-they in are bits this year.

They'll be under the skin and you can see them moving around. You can actually pop them out with a knife. There more common in continental Europe. I doubt very much that there warbles but I could be wrong. I've never seen them down here only the stories my father used to say about them.

Limestone Cowboy

Auldloon wrote: »

Warble fly was eradicated in Ireland in the 1960's thankfully.

They weren't eradicated in the 60's. They are rare but there is still an odd one buzzing about. Girlfriends father had to get a donkey put down a few years back after it got paralysed by one that layed an egg on its back. Her mother had the misfortune to get stung by one about ten years ago aswell.

Auldloon

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

They weren't eradicated in the 60's. They are rare but there is still an odd one buzzing about.

You're right sorry!

Capercaillie

I knew a lad who could make the sound of the warble fly. He was at a cattle fair in Kilkenny years ago (30 years+). He asked a few lads for the price of a pint. They refused so he threatened them that he would make the sound of the warble fly. They foolishly refused to give him the money. He started buzzing like the fly and the cattle went mad and broke out. They should have listened to him.

patsy_mccabe

Jeez, only today I saw one of our cows running with it's tail up. Saw her from the road when passing. Just checked her there now and she seems ok.
I remember the Warble Fly being around. Nasty thing, you could squeeze them out with your thumbs. I thought too that the pour-ons had got rid of them all.

You can see one falling out on this video at 3:55mins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6ELe6FTF4A

mf240

Capercaillie wrote: »

I knew a lad who could make the sound of the warble fly. He was at a cattle fair in Kilkenny years ago (30 years+). He asked a few lads for the price of a pint. They refused so he threatened them that he would make the sound of the warble fly. They foolishly refused to give him the money. He started buzzing like the fly and the cattle went mad and broke out. They should have listened to him.

A human parasite making the sound of another parasite.

L1985

We just had the vet here this morning(unrelated obviously) and I asked him. He said if the cattle are running with their tails up it's deff the warble fly and it hasn't been eradicated as it's still around our area. Havnt seen any eggs but better check them out. We are going to try a diff pour on anyway on mon and hopefully itl work.

byhookorbycrook

Def not eradicated.

patsy_mccabe

L1985 wrote: »

.... We are going to try a diff pour on anyway on mon and hopefully itl work.

OP, what part of the country are you in?

L1985

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

OP, what part of the country are you in?

Sth Kilkenny-we are by a river as well and have a wood by one of the fields where it's particularly bad. Great conditions for them or so it seems!

The man in red and black

L1985 wrote: »

Sth Kilkenny-we are by a river as well and have a wood by one of the fields where it's particularly bad. Great conditions for them or so it seems!

I've seen cattle running around like mad with the tails up in Kilkenny about 15 years ago. My father told me it was a warble fly, and used to see them all the time years ago. When we studied the parasite in university the lecturers assured me it is gone 30 years or more but still you hear reports of it so I also think the odd one is still around!

Figerty

We haven't had a warble here in years, but occasionally the cattle go nuts with the tails up. I suspect there is something similar that triggers the old reactions in the cows.

greysides

Dept of Ag: Warbles manifest themselves as bumps rising on the backs of cattle from mid February until the fly emerges between April and June. Herdowners must notify any infestation and may not move infested cattle without a certificate of treatment.
There has been no evidence of warbles in the domestic herd in recent years, but they may be found in imported cattle and this may result in spread requiring area treatment.

This was published in the Veterinary Record in 1985:

The costs of warble fly in cattle have been estimated at 35 million pounds for Great Britain in 1985 and $85 million for Italy in 1982. Control measures within the European Community vary from one country to another and from the voluntary application of systemic products by individual farmers to comprehensive national eradication schemes backed by legislation. Of the countries opting for national eradication measures, Denmark has been successful and the Federal Republic of Germany, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain have reduced the incidence of the disease to very low levels. In Great Britain in 1978, 38 per cent of cattle were found to be affected in a survey of selected fatstock markets by the Meat and Livestock Commission. In 1985 the incidence had fallen to 0.01 per cent. Seven hundred and five affected herds were found in Great Britain when the disease was made notifiable in 1982, falling to 419 affected herds in 1985. Treatment of all cattle over 12 weeks old is required in affected herds. Since 1982 parts of Great Britain where the disease has persisted or where there is evidence of a recrudescence have been designated 'infected areas' in which all cattle over 12 weeks old have been required to be treated within specific dates. In addition to statutory measures the control measures in Great Britain include the inspection of cattle at auction markets and on farms. Work on the application to field conditions of an ELISA test is in progress, with encouraging results. It is considered that Great Britain is now well placed to eradicate warble fly.

My own opinion is that a lot of the gadding attributed to Warble flies is due to other flies. The Deer Warble fly is still around and, I believe can infect cattle but the warbles do not mature properly to propagate it.

Any suspect flies I've sent off have come back as Tabanid species (Horseflies, not the usual one), particularly this fellow, the Giant Dark Horsefly:

Nekarsulm

As a kid got a right good poisoning while using the organo-phosporous warable fly treatment. It got transferred to the top rail of the crush from an animal, and I got dosed while leaning over the rail. Couple of days sick, and a good rash across the stomach.

Markcheese

Nekarsulm wrote: »

As a kid got a right good poisoning while using the organo-phosporous warable fly treatment. It got transferred to the top rail of the crush from an animal, and I got dosed while leaning over the rail. Couple of days sick, and a good rash across the stomach.

Met a department vet who wouldn't even step into a yard if he thought the farmer used organo-phosphate ...

Nekarsulm

Markcheese wrote: »

Met a department vet who wouldn't even step into a yard if he thought the farmeigano-phosphate ...

Yeah, some people's central nervous system particularly sensitiveto OP. Witnes the shepards poisoned and incapacitated by dip in the 80's, while oothers dipped all their lives and no effects.

KatyMac

Man who lives near me was poisoned with organo phosphates from dipping sheep, he is allergic to any chemicals now, can't even be near somebody with aftershave/perfume or anything on them.

Comic Book Guy

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Jeez, only today I saw one of our cows running with it's tail up. Saw her from the road when passing. Just checked her there now and she seems ok.
I remember the Warble Fly being around. Nasty thing, you could squeeze them out with your thumbs. I thought too that the pour-ons had got rid of them all.

You can see one falling out on this video at 3:55mins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6ELe6FTF4A

Am I the only one uncontrollably itchy all over having watched that?!

I was sure they had been eradicated but obviously not.

L1985

Well the vet kind of laughed at me when I asked if they had been eradicated and said no the numbers had gone down in the 60s but it's still around.he just said if they have the tail up it's a classic sign of warble fly and tbh we seem to have them every summer- it's just particularly bad this year.i didn't think in my first post it was any sort of issue if they existed- I just wanted the best dose to get rid of them!!

minktrapper

Has anyone a photo of a Warble Fly.

cj maxx

minktrapper wrote: »

Has anyone a photo of a Warble Fly.

Go back about 5 posts on this thread to a post by greysides and theres a photo at the end of it

minktrapper

cjmc wrote: »

Go back about 5 posts on this thread to a post by greysides and theres a photo at the end of it

That is a Giant Dark Horse Fly.I actually had one of theses in my tractor last week.I took a photo of it.

Water John

Sorry, Greysides notes above that the photo is a type of horse fly.
The road rally cars of the late 70's seemed to mimick the warble fly, cattle going beserk, tails up.

cj maxx

Sorry . I didnt read the post , just seen it and warble fly together and ASSumed it was one

TITANIUM.

I just searched for images of the warble fly.
Holy sh1t there's some horrible images. Viewer discretion advised.

L1985

Odd this reopened now-our cattle are going cracked again with the flies-same thing tails up and they bolt in to the yard!! Have to dose them tomorrow.

inthepit

Today I saw the bull with his tail straight up and running faster than I had seen before.Then I noticed two more flys over the heifers.That was the first time that I have seen warble fly.