FARM ANIMALS ATTACKED.

Matamata Record, Volume XVI, Issue 1442, 17 July 1933, Page 6

FARM ANIMALS ATTACKED.

BY “ BITING FLY.”

Explanation by a Scientist. A little black fly, the size of a house fly, which Morrinsville district farmers call “ the biting fly ” because it bites animals and men, has been identified by a scientist of the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, as the the common European stable-fly. Comment on the prevalence of this fly in the Morrinsville district last summer was made at the March meeting of the Morrinsville branch of the Farmers’ Union.

This fly has been known to Morrinsville district farmers for many years, but this year it is said to be more numerous than ever. It draws blood from cows and horses, and is particularly troublesome to dairy cows at milking time. Advice to Farmers. “ The blood-sucking insect to which you refer as attacking your horses and cattle is the common European stable-fly,” states the reply received from the director of the Cawthom Institute.

“ Your observations are of greatest interest to me since they coincide with my own. This fly by its attacks has been shown to reduce the milk yield as much as 13 per cent.

“ There is not much chance of control by parasites, but there is by preventing the fly from breeding. Its maggots like manure heaps where there is ample rotting straw or grass. If such heaps were spread out as much as possible it would reduce the number of maggots, and incidentally the flies. In countries where these insects are very troublesome, manure is kept in flyproof pits, and the insects are controlled.

“ The control of this fly is one of the problems I hope to take up, as I consider it of vast importance to the dairy industry.”