Monitoring Flies and Seasonal Conditions

Seasonal conditions

The risk of flystrike increases once the temperature is above 17°C, wind speeds are moderate (< 30 km per hour) and sheep fleece remains moist from rainfall for a few days.

The FlyBoss tools allow you to assess the risk in your environment using local climate records. The tools also allow you to visualise how flystrike risk changes with different shearing and crutching times and management approaches.
 

Monitoring fly populations

Trapping blowflies is not considered an effective control strategy for large scale commercial operations as one trap is required for every 100 sheep. Traps can however be useful for monitoring blowfly populations and timing preventative treatment.

The Lucitrap, available from Bioglobal Pty Ltd is the most efficient trap for sheep blowfly. Its patented lures mimic the odours of fleece rot, animal carcasses, urine and faeces. Lucitraps should be located near water and/or humid areas and sheltered from the wind. Visit the Bioglobal website by clicking here.

Experience has shown that at the start of the season strikes occur approximately two weeks after blowflies begin appearing in traps. This is a window of opportunity to treat your sheep (for example, shear, crutch or apply a relevant chemical) and reduce their susceptibility.

For further details on Lucitraps and monitoring fly populations download the information below.

Flytraps (137 KB)