The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1946-01-17
BY VERNON E. NOSTER
Asst. County Agent


cent per pound.
Every hide that has five or more
grub holes is graded as q No. z,
and brings one cent less per pound.
Wait q minute. We almost forgot
the most important and costly OF
all.
Remember those nice, sunny
days last spring, when we were al
out soaking up that warm early
glow?" Whether it was hanging
over fence, a spear OF grass
stuck in our mouth, or riding along
the fence in a car, we all noticed
old bossy~ and her airplane antics
in the pasture.
Often, it began like this: Old
bossy munching tender grass in
the most contented fashion-then
suddenly, her head hobs up, her
tail gets high cockeyed twist and
makes you think of q plane prop
ready for starting. Contact It -!
With blow, below, and side strad.
die hop, old bossy dashes "Hail
| Columbia" down the hill, swishing
her tail like mad and kicking at
least every 4th jump.
What in "Holy Cow" ever got IN
to old bossy? Holy Cow is right.
The adult cattle grub, heel fly, Is
the answer.
Think of milk production loss,
loss of flesh, and wasted energy
because Of this pesky little fly.
Yep, when 5 cents cost per cow
can save all this.
I want to tell you briefly about
the life cycle of the grub before
discussing treatment and control.
We viii start with the fly. You
know it as the heel fly. It appears
|Eluring the first mild sunny days.
They lay their eggs on the hairs
of the legs and undersides Of the
body-up along the brisket 500 or
more per fly. The flies neither
bite nor sting, but something about
them causes excitement in til herd
and often starts the cattle running
and stampeding.
The eggs are attached to the
hairs close to the skin. They hatch
in 3 or 4 days into small maggots.
In this form they burrow through
the skin and then wander around
in the body from five to seven
months. They are found almost
any place in the body, but are most
numerous at this stage along walls
of the gullet.
In the early fall they congregate
along the back region. How much
damage results to the animals
while the grubs are migrating In
the body is hard to figure, but no
doubt It Is extensive and very an
noying. As the grubs reach the
back, the damage Is greater.
Here they cut small holes thru
the skin, which they use as q
breathing space. In this location,
they grow rapidly and become an
inch or more in length when fully
grown.
The hole enlarges and I'm two
or three months their growth Il
finished and they work their way
out and fall on the ground. In q
few weeks time, depending some
what on weather conditions, they
hatch into flies. Within an hour
after becoming dies they have
mated and start laying eges. Thus
they are ready to start over again.
We know a practical and eco
nomic treatment Of controlling cat
tie grubs. The drug Il rotenone. Il
is the active principle Of the der
ris or cube powder. This powder
Is derived from plants grown In
the Far East and In South Ameri-
ca. The drug properly mixed, may
be used a. q wash or spray or
may be used mixed with equal
parts wetable sulphur - q dust
ing agent.
Time for treatment = when
grubs have cut holes in the hides.
In this territory, It means from De-
cember to April. First treatment,
December and second 20 days
later. This drug Is also effective
against lice. The treatment Il
not expensive, probably less than
5 cents per head.
I want to urge you to make .