C4-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 24, 1993
Hot, Humid Weather Could Mean Sheep Blowfly Problems
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre “This summer’s prolonged hot
Co.) Sheep producers in the and humid weather is causing a
northeastern United States should high rate of blowfly infestations in
guard against blowfly infestations breeding flocks and feeder
this summer, warns an animal sci- lambs,” said Dr. Clair Engle, asso
entist in Penn State’s College of date professor of animal science.
Agricultural Sciences. “Producers need to be aware of the
Wilson Honored
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) The northeast section of
the American Society of Animal
Science/American Dairy Science
Association has presented Lowell
L. Wilson its Distinguished Ser
vice Award at its recent meeting at
the University of Maryland, Col
lege Park.
The Distinguished Service
Award recognizes Wilson, profes
sor animal science in Penn State’s
Department of Dairy and Animal
Science, for his outstanding con
tributions to the field of animal
science and animal agriculture.
Wilson joined Penn State in
1966 and has conducted a wide
range of research, primarily in
beef cattle breeding, beef and
sheep management systems, for
age utilization, growth promo
tants, and agricultural by-products
as livestock feeds. More recently,
he has conducted research with
special-fed veal systems and pub
lic perceptions of animal produc
tion methods. He has developed
educational and informational ma
terials on farm animal care, use,
and welfare and the role of agri
culture in society.
Wilson presently serves as a
director of the Pennsylvania Live
stock Association, Pennsylva
nians for the Responsible Use of
Animals, Pennsylvania Beef
Council, and the Pennsylvania
Cattlemen’s Association. He has
served as an officer of Pennsylva
nia’s Forage and Grassland Coun
cil, Beef Council, and Cattlemen’s
Association. Also, he is currently
secretary of the Pennsylvania Cat
tlemen’s Association and techni
cal adviser to the American Veal
Association.
Wilson has authored or co-au
Maryland
Ag Field Day
Wednesday
COLLEGE PARK, Md. Let a wagon
become your classroom as you leam alterna
tive agricultural enterprises, environmental
issues, and Maryland tobacco at the Mary
land Agriculture Experiment Station’s
(MAES) Southern Maryland Ag Field Day at
the Upper Marlboro Facility.
The field day will feature two concurrent
wagon tours, which will begin on July 28 at
8:30 a.m. and conclude at noon.
Stops along the tobacco tour include
Maryland tobacco breeding and genetics,
research on nitrogen quick testing for Mary
land tobacco, new herbicides for tobacco and
other field crops, aphid control practices,
concerns about the PVY-N potato virus on
Maryland tobacco, and phosphate rate
studies.
The alternative agricultural enterprises and
environmental tour will highlight cut flower
production, row mixtures and force fields,
resistant management tactics for Colorado
beetle control, new management tools for
controlling cucumber beetle and spread of
bacterial wilt, fencing alternative for inten
sive grazing, environmental impact of alter
native pesticide formulation and tillage prac
tices, and research and extension effort
involving water quality.
For more information on the Southern
Maryland Ag Field Day. contact your local
cooperative extension office or the Upper
Marlboro facility "at (301) 627-8440.
Lowell L. Wilson
thored nearly 100 scientific pa
pers, more than 450 technical and
producer-oriented articles, and se
veral monographs and book chap
ters. He has taught several under
graduate courses and supervised
43 masters and five doctoral de
gree candidates. He has made sci
entific presentations in Australia,
Argentina, Canada, Columbia,
Mexico, Chili, South Africa, Ire
land, Spain, England, Venezuela,
New Zealand, Ukraine, and Rus
sia.
After receiving undergraduate
and graduate degrees from The
University of Wisconsin at Plalle
ville and South Dakota State Uni
versity, respectively, Wilson serv
ed as extension beef specialist at
Purdue University in the
mid-19605, where he initiated
electronic data processing of beef
cattle records.
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causes, symptoms, prevention,
and treatment of blowfly infesta
tions.”
Blowflies thrive in hot. wet en
vironments and need warm, damp
and dark areas with a good nutri
ent base to deposit and hatch their
eggs. Sheep are perfect for the job.
“Their woolen bodies make sheep
especially susceptible, but blow
flies attack other animals, too,”
Engle said.
“Sheep with dense fleeces,
wrinkles, wool longer than an
inch, heavily matted wool, or soil
ed breech wool are prime targets
for blowfly to strike. Adult flies
are strongly attracted to the slight
est wound, so sheep with open
wounds or infections from shear
ing, docking, castration, or ear
tagging also are at high risk.”
When a blowfly lays eggs in a
sheep, larvae hatch within 24
hours and develop fully within six
days, feeding on skin and wound
secretions. The maggots then bur
row into the skin or wound area to
mature, eventually dropping to the
ground where they pupate to adult
blowflies.
No flock is immune from blow
flies in hot and humid weather,”
Engle said. “Producers must
watch their sheep and clean patch
es where the wool is wet, dense,
and soiled with feces, urine,
wound exudates, or other secre
tions."
The body parts most likely to be
attacked are the breech, the crutch
of ewes or lambs on feed, and the
pizzle or sheath region on rams
and wethers. Producers also
should check the rump, the head at
the base of the horns, and any skin
or foot lacerations.
Infested breech areas are most
common. “The first symptom
usually is a spasmodic twitching
of the tailhead region and frequent
stomping of the hind feet, accom
panied by general restlessness and
failure to feed or associate with
the flock” Engle said. “Closer
examination will reveal the odor
of decaying tissue. If the infesta
tion isn’t stopped, animals soon
rCROPS
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STOCK
Tests For Maximum Benefit To Your livestock.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
die from tissue destruction and
toxins produced by the feeding
larvae.”
To treat a blowfly strike, the
wool must be clipped to expose
the infested area. “Farmers may
find a wound teeming with larvae,
which must be flushed out.” Engle
said. “At this point, call a veterin
arian to treat and dress the
wound.”
Dressing the wound properly
enhances healing and provides fly
protection. “Use an effective fly
repellent to protect both the
wound and the sheep,” said Engle.
“Don’t let the affected area be
come sunburned, especially if the
wound is on the upper body. Keep
recovering sheep in a clean, well-
Expects Dynamic Growth
GREENSBORO. N.C. Ciba
Plant Protection’s Seed Treatment
Business Unit expects to add three
new compounds to its product line
within the next two to five years,
according to Director Don Elliott.
Seed Treatment is Ciba’s new
est business unit and is part of its
new Commercial Development
Group, which was formed in Jan
uary.
Ciba projects that the seed treat
ment industry should grow 8 to 10
percent per year during the next
five years.
“Our new Seed Treatment Busi
ness Unit will allow us to concen
trate on new opportunities in this
area,” said Commercial Develop
ment Vice President Ken Kemp.
I '"dims J
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SOIL
PROFI
Sylvan Smoker Stanley W. Carper Melvin M. Lapp
Rt. 1 Box 12 Zook Rd. RD 1 Bex 236 250 Ultlo Baavar Rd.
Atglan, PA 19310 Tyrone, PA 16606 Slraaburg, PA 17579
318-893-3831 614-684-3468 717-667-8387
Telephone (216) 693-2732
Toll Free 1400-544-7122 (In Ohio)
Toll Free 14004664692 (outalde Ohio)
Fax (216) 9934317
Ciba Seed Unit
)ED PROGRAMS. CALL OR WRITE:
ventilated, shaded facility with
good fly control during the first
week after treatment.”
Applying certain insecticides to
sheep in short fleece can reduce
blowfly infestations during hot,
wet weather. “Most sheep supply
stores sell safe, effective sprays
that provide protection for up to a
month,” Engle said. “Many fly
control sprays recommended for
the dairy industry also will work
well for sheep. Local veterinarians
can help find the best solution for
your situation.”
When using insecticides, al
ways read and follow the direc
tions and strictly observe any
withdrawal requirements printed
on the insecticide label.
Environmental benefits are one
reason for the industry’s growth,
Elliott said. “Seed treatment is an
excellent strategy for preventing
and controlling disease or insect
infestations without affecting the
environment and with minimal
personal exposure,” he said.
Seed treatment products that are
being developed by Ciba include:
• Dividend™, providing sys
temic disease control for cereal
crops. It is particularly effective
against seedling diseases in wheat.
Plus, it offers control of dwarf
bunt and early-season foliar dis
eases such as rust, Septoria and
powdery mildew.
• Maxim™, providing broad
spectrum disease control in pota
toes, com, peas, and beans.
• Trigard®, providing maggot
control for onions.
Ciba’s existing seed treatment
products are Apron® for control
of systemic downy mildew, seed
rot and damping-off diseases, and
Concep®. a seed dressing to pro
tect grain or forage sorghum from
the phytotoxic effects of meto
lachlor herbicide. Both have been
marketed since the early 1980 s.
“Efficiency is
The Key To Profit”