UK Scab Mite Trial
Dipped twice on the same day with Electrodip using Youngs Robust (Cypermethrin), treatment gave clearance of all symptoms in 4 – 5 days. No further treatment was required. Efficiency of dipping (or jetting) obviously relates to the degree of the infection or the situation of it.
Object:
To discover the efficiency of Electrodip as a method of dipping for Scab Mite using Cypermethrin and Diazinon comparisons.
Trial Location:
David Edwards
Ludlow
Shropshire, United Kingdom
Trial Period:
20/02/2005
Mr Edwards runs a lamb finish property buying in lambs from Midlands and Wales.
Having acquired an Electrodip for use in contracting to supplement farm income, his purpose was to gain some experience with its use for scab control.
Three pens of approximately 800 lambs per pen were purchased with scab infection in each pen.
Pen 1. Dipped twice on the same day using Youngs Robust (Cypermethrin)
Pen 2. Dipped once Using Youngs Robust.
Pen 3. Dipped once using Coopers Diazinon
Volumes used – around one litre.
Pens 1 and 2 were farmed on to the finished stage at about 12 weeks with no further signs of scab mite. Pen 3 resulted in no noticeable improvement after 14 days so they were treated again with Robust. This treatment gave clearance of all symptoms in 4 – 5 days. No further treatment was required.
Mr Edwards has since jetted infected sheep for other farmers. In one instance 600 woolly ewes were jetted using around 2 litres of Cypermethrin wash. A small number (6) were inoculated shortly after giving complete clearance.
Other treatments have been less effective however these were smaller sheep moving rapidly through the machine without use of the restrictor panels and the sheep are now being restrained using a lead out race with a narrow exit giving a more reliable result.
Other farmers and contractors report similar experiences with many relying on the Electrodip for their scab control. Another farmer in Cumbria says Cpermethrin is probably better than Diazinon for scab control but he does not use it due to the proximity of his facility to a water course.
Electrodip acknowledegement
While the number of animals trialed does not compare with mob sizes where Electrodip is more commonly used, we are indebted to John Downard for his patience and dedication to his trial which involved bringing the mob in to the yards for the numerous inspections.
Time given for the development of the Electrodip and knowledge on this subject, has been contributed by:
In New Zealand - Selwyn Boone (Dunsandle), Tim Wilson (Waimate), Barry Payne (Cave), John Morton (Lake Coleridge), Bill Clarke (Liegh), Tony and David Matthews (Raetahi), Brian Jephson (Cape Palliser), Mark Nelson (Hastings).
In Australia - Solto Douglas (Wentworth), David Golby (Portland).
In the United Kingdom - Micheal Webster (Ashbourne), Geraint Thomas (Presteign), Ken Jones (Llanwrtyd), Robin Dean (Preston).
These people have given their time for intensive investigations of their animals either proving or disproving the effectiveness of the treatments and in trialing the improvements needed. Acknowledgment also goes to the many owners, in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom, most of whom, over the last 10 years, have contributed to the knowledge that is now built into these machines.