Show HEEL FLIES PESTER C CATTLE TLE IN SUMMER seivi HER parasites cause lumps on backs of animals kerosene oil will destroy them by GEORGE H GLOVER GLOVE 11 colorado agricultural ri college fort colllns collins colo several letters have been received lately respecting lumps clumps on tile 1311 backs CIS of 0 cattle one party made the important discovery that worms had eaten big holes through the backs of 0 his fits cattle and wore were found at the bottom eating their way cattle can do very nicely without these parasites but the parasites can not live without their hosts these parasites are the larvae of the heel fly this fly Is about one half inch long ind and looks something like a small black bee the flies pester cattle during the summer months and deposit their eggs oil nn the hair around the heels and hind legs the flies files are unable to bite but cattle are instinctively afraid of thorn them and will run with their tails high in the air to the nearest water hole when they approach the eggs aggs are arc taken into the stomach by cattle licking themselves and there they hatch batch and the tiny larvae migrate through the body to their favorite habitat by skiing or early summer the grub is 19 full cull grown arid and makes its escape through tin an opening which it lias has made I 1 ind through which it breathes and L if l croup the ground it burrows for a time in the ground is changed into the pu pal stage and from tills this the mature fly alv emerges in about one month some som e claim that the egg hatches on the hair anil and the larva makes its way directly through the skin grubs cause cattle to fall off a little in flesh and milk and they greatly depreciate preci ate the value of the hide it is well nell to press out the grubs using a knife if necessary to enlarge the opening A quicker way to destroy them is to apply a few drops of kerosene through the opening with an oil can to keep the flies away from the cattle use pine tar or one of the coal tar dips |