Strategic early treatment for control of sheep flystrike: potential economic benefits examined using a weather-driven model of flystrike risk
Brian J. Horton
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, PO Box 46, Kings Meadows, Tas. 7249, Australia. Email: brian.horton@utas.edu.au
Animal Production Science 55(9) 1131-1144 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14509
Submitted: 18 April 2014 Accepted: 1 August 2014 Published: 30 September 2014
Abstract
The application of preventive treatment against flystrike early in spring (before strike occurs) may reduce the reproductive success of the sheep blowfly, thereby maintaining a low risk of flystrike throughout the fly season. This hypothesis has been examined using a weather-driven model of flystrike (incorporating a reduced risk due to early treatment), based on previous experimental studies. The model indicates that in the Gunning area (with a high flystrike risk), this reduction in seasonal risk would reduce total costs related to flystrike, reduce the overall use of preventive chemical treatment and reduce the number of sheep struck. However, in a lower risk area (Flinders Island), the value of early treatment would depend on the date of shearing and the local risk of flystrike. Under some conditions, no preventive treatment would be necessary in most years because of a regional low risk of flystrike, so there would be no economic benefit from always using early treatment. Early treatment is least likely to be cost-effective when shearing is required soon after the optimal date for early treatment. Further experimental studies are recommended to fully examine whether the previously reported reduction in flystrike resulting from early treatment is consistent over a wider range of climatic conditions.
Additional keywords: body strike, breech strike, modelling disease, mulesing, sheep blowfly.
References
De Cat S, Larsen JWA, Anderson N (2012) Survival over winter and spring emergence of Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in south-eastern Australia. Australian Journal of Entomology 51, 1–11.| Survival over winter and spring emergence of Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in south-eastern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Greeff J, Karlsson J (2009) Incorporating breech strike resistance into your ram selection program: how to use the data effectively, what genetic progress you can expect to make. In ‘Sheep Updates 2009, Perth, WA’. (Ed. S White) (Department of Agriculture and Food)
Horton BJ, Campbell NJ (2007) Modelling pesticide residues on greasy wool: a comparison of alternative models of pesticide breakdown. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 918–926.
| Modelling pesticide residues on greasy wool: a comparison of alternative models of pesticide breakdown.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXos1KgtL8%3D&md5=100b372f6176e96d76064ffed8cef99bCAS |
Horton JD, Champion SC (2001) Some current management strategies for low residue fly and lice control. In ‘FLICS conference, Launceston, Tasmania’. (Ed. S Champion) pp. 443–453. (Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, University of Tasmania: Launceston)
Horton B, Hogan L (2010) FlyBoss: a web-based flystrike information and decision support system. Animal Production Science 50, 1069–1076.
| FlyBoss: a web-based flystrike information and decision support system.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Horton J, Bailey A, Horton B (2002) Production of chemical-free wool in Tasmania. Wool Technology and Sheep Breeding 40, 560–565.
Lang MD, Allen GR, Horton BJ (2006) Blowfly succession from possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) carrion in a sheep-farming zone. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 20, 445–452.
| Blowfly succession from possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) carrion in a sheep-farming zone.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2s%2FgsVyhug%3D%3D&md5=360be85439930ea226aab0e68dc58debCAS | 17199756PubMed |
Larsen JWA, Tyrell LD, Anderson N (2012) Prevalence of breech-strike in mulesed, clipped and unmulesed Merino hoggets in south-eastern Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal 90, 158–166.
| Prevalence of breech-strike in mulesed, clipped and unmulesed Merino hoggets in south-eastern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC38rlslCiug%3D%3D&md5=44a63348bd5f285fdfaf99cc2cc60ba1CAS |
Levot GW (2013) Response to laboratory selection with cyromazine and susceptibility to alternative insecticides in sheep blowfly larvae from the New South Wales Monaro. Australian Veterinary Journal 91, 61–64.
| Response to laboratory selection with cyromazine and susceptibility to alternative insecticides in sheep blowfly larvae from the New South Wales Monaro.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXjvVaqt7o%3D&md5=185d4877668d9bc16a13b2b768e21b4aCAS | 23356375PubMed |
Lucas P, Horton B (2013) Comparative costs, chemical treatments and flystrike rates in mulesed and unmulesed sheep flocks as predicted by a weather-driven model. Animal Production Science 53, 342–351.
| Comparative costs, chemical treatments and flystrike rates in mulesed and unmulesed sheep flocks as predicted by a weather-driven model.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McKenzie JA, Anderson N (1990) Insecticidal control of Lucilia cuprina: strategic timing of treatment. Australian Veterinary Journal 67, 385–386.
| Insecticidal control of Lucilia cuprina: strategic timing of treatment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DyaK3M7ksVCruw%3D%3D&md5=7f432771fdec63852b3b490666f88d3fCAS | 2288543PubMed |
McQuillan PB, Jones AL, Williams H (1983) Recent studies on sheep blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Tasmania. In ‘Sheep blowfly and flystrike in sheep. Proceedings of the second national symposium, University of New South Wales’. (Ed. HW Raadsma) pp. 100–105. (Department of Agriculture, New South Wales: Sydney)
Monzu N (1979) The importance of alternative primary blowfly species to the Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann). In ‘National symposium on the sheep blowfly and flystrike in sheep, Sydney, New South Wales’. pp. 33–43. (Department of Agriculture, New South Wales: Sydney)
Norris KR (1957) A method of marking Calliphoridae (Diptera) during emergence from the puparium. Nature 180, 1002
| A method of marking Calliphoridae (Diptera) during emergence from the puparium.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Percival V, Horton B (2014) Use of a threshold of flystrike risk as a method for treatment intervention in the management of flystrike in sheep. Animal Production Science 54, 308–318.
| Use of a threshold of flystrike risk as a method for treatment intervention in the management of flystrike in sheep.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Raadsma HW (1987) Flystrike control: an overview of management and breeding options. Wool Technology and Sheep Breeding 35, 174–185.
Reeve I, Thompson L-J (2005) Integrated parasite management in sheep project: Benchmark survey. Report to Australian Wool Innovation, Sydney, NSW.
Russell I (1994) Pesticides in wool: downstream consequences. Wool Technology and Sheep Breeding 42, 344–349.
Sackett D, Holmes P, Abbott K, Jephcott S, Barber M (2006) Assessing the economic cost of endemic disease on the profitability of Australian beef cattle and sheep producers. MLA Report AHW.087, Meat & Livestock Australia, Sydney, NSW.
Wall R, French NP, Morgan KL (1993) Sheep blowfly population control: development of a simulation model and analysis of management strategies. Journal of Applied Ecology 30, 743–751.
| Sheep blowfly population control: development of a simulation model and analysis of management strategies.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wardhaugh KG (2001) The biology and ecology of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) – an update. In ‘FLICS conference. Launceston’. (Ed. S Champion) pp. 53–70. (Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, University of Tasmania: Launceston)
Wardhaugh KG, Morton R (1990) The incidence of flystrike in sheep in relation to weather conditions, sheep husbandry, and the abundance of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera:Calliphoridae). Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 41, 1155–1167.
| The incidence of flystrike in sheep in relation to weather conditions, sheep husbandry, and the abundance of the Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera:Calliphoridae).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wardhaugh KG, Morton R, Bedo D, Horton BJ (2007) Estimating the incidence of fly myiases in Australian sheep flocks: development of a weather-driven regression model. Medical and Veterinary Entomology 21, 153–167.
| Estimating the incidence of fly myiases in Australian sheep flocks: development of a weather-driven regression model.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2szjvVamuw%3D%3D&md5=49917a5efc821946248e81f98d53f43dCAS | 17550435PubMed |
