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SHEEP BOT.
Tasmania. is suffering to some extent
from the ravages of the bolt fly, and 1
notice that.;New Zealand, after a par
ticularly severe dose of this pest, has
now the sheep bot, or gad fly,. to con
tend with. Reports to hand are to the
effect that the fly is proving trouble
some in the Wairarapa, and t?hat it. has
cauned the death of valuable sheep. It
, rathler early in :the season for the
bot; flies to be abou' theree. The sheep
bot is like a small brown bee, and is
technically known, as Oestrus ovis. The
fly deposits its eggs just inside :the
sheep's nostrils, and then the larvae
work their way up into the passages
of the head... If the eggs.are deposited
at midsummeir the larvae attain .their
full development by 'the next' spring,
or in about 10 months. Thee mature'
larvae is ahotut three-quarters of an
inch long. When full grown they begin
to work dow. from the 'head -towards'
the nostrils again, and are expelled
by the sneezing of the sheep, and fall
to the ground. After pasing through a
pupa stage they become full-blowBvn flies
by the sucmmer, and are ready to lay
t:heir eggs and begin the same horrid
business over again. Sheep show much
agitation asnd restlessness wlhe alt
'tacked by bhe fly, and sometimes hud
dle together in some dry, dusty spot
with their nose.s cl!ose ,to the gno?md.
There is a profuse f uew of mucus from
the 'nostrils after the eggs are laid.
Giddiness is also, a symptom, and in ex
tremen cases death is caused by 'the irri
tation and general unsettting of., the.
sheep's healflt by the presence of the
larvae. In this case 'there is little
chance oT cure. As with the 'horse bot;
anything strong enough to kill the
larvae is very likely to kill the sheep
also. Preventive measures, according
to a Maoriland writer, consist of apply
ing a mixture of tar and fish oil to the
noses dl the sheep. to prevent the fly
from alighting to' lay eggs. It is said
that the larvae can be killed by inject
itng olive oil and turps in. e?ual quant:i
ties up the nostrils by means of a rub
ber syringe with tube, bulb, and no0zle.
D)eath is usually ca.used by the larvae
penetrating 'the brain
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