In order to prevent Blowfly strike, the following steps are recommended:

• Application of a preventative product in advance of the main risk period for flies
• Discuss with your vet or RAMA the most appropriate product, based on labour resources, age of your lambs during the risk period, withdrawal periods and anticipated slaughter dates
• Reduce dirty backends - Dagging, crutching and timely shearing are all important.
• Tail docking lambs is a debated but accepted procedure to reduce strike in lowland flocks.
• Control worm burdens. Discuss with your vet an appropriate faecal egg counting and parasite control plan.
• Treat lame sheep promptly. Flies are attracted to wounds caused by footrot
• Manage the fly population: Reducing the fly population early in the year has the greatest impact on the fly challenge during the grazing season
• Inexpensive fly traps have been shown to reduce strike incidence by 80% in a season
• Prompt disposal of deadstock
• In high risk periods, consider grazing more exposed pastures which are less favourable to the flies.

Long fleeces and tails, as well as dirty back-ends (probably due to worms) all increase the risk of blowfly strike