THE BOT ELY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2534, 27 July 1893, Page 4

THE BOT ELY.

Tho dangerous bot fly pest, of which we have heard so many complaints in this district and elsewhere within tho last few years, is now showing every sign of becoming a disastrous, deadly enemy of the Hew Zealand farmer. In our last issue we drew attention to the fact that Mr W. Hawke, of the Geraldine road, near Winchester, had been troubled to a great extent with this pest amongst his horses. Mr Hawke’s statement to us was that he had lost a mare for which he had refused an oiler of £BO, and that he had another animal in a miserable plight from the attacks of this destructive insect. Since our last issue the latter animal, a young horse valued at about £SO or £6O, has also succumbed to the pest. Mr Hawke afterwards dissected the animal, and found that the poor brute’s stomach was literally one mass of bots, with all the appearance of, and even more numerous than, bees in a honeycomb. Veterinary surgeons as a rule are said to be somewhat sceptical as to any real danger from the bot fly pest, and some even assert that it will not kill a horse. We hear that Mr Hawke has forwarded the bot-infested stomach of his dead beast to an experienced vet. at Timaru for his critical observation. Strange to say, on Tuesday last we had a visit from Mr G. Cross, who lives in the same locality as Mr Hawke, and he informed us that he also has lately lost a young horse by the bot fly. Mr Cross took the trouble to bring with him part of the digestive organs of his horse, an inspection of which has fully convinced us that the vet. who asserts “ the bot fly pest will not kill a horse ” does not know what he is talking about. Tho part of the animal submitted to us was in the form of a pouch about eight inches in length, and this was completely choked with a crawling mass of bots, a sickening sight to look upon. It appears that the bots act something like worms in a horse’s stomach, only with greater power. They lie in wait to ravenously devour the food as it enters the animal, and thereby gradually eat away the very life of the poor beast. In swarming after the food, Mr Cross pointed out to us that the bots must have congested so as to give,the animal a choking sensation in the lungs, fur, when he inserted tho knife, a large cplantity of fluid came away from the pulmonary organs where it had been congested. Our informant is of opinion that the - bot fly attacks young horses more than old ones, and he also says that anyone that has once had dealings with the pest will, by the symptoms, instantly be able to detect any traces of bot fly in an animal. The first symptom of the bot fly in his animal, noticed by Mr Cross, was that the horse was habitually throwing its head back and biting fiercely its shoulder. We again throw out the hint to any enterprising chemist or vet. that a sure remedy for the bot fly evil would be invaluable to farmers and would command a ready sale. Perhaps the Government might be induced to take some steps to find a remedy or some means of dealing with this undesirable insect. We suggest the bot fly question as a good subject for discussion at the Geraldine Farmers’ Club meetings.