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Rabbits and flies

D

Debsbuns

New Kit
Hi, I've just joined - basically because I would like some advice on flystrike, so I hope that someone can help.

Last night I spotted several nasty bit bluebottles on my two outdoor rabbits - remembering I had some Rearguard in the cupboard I immediately applied it (after checking there were no maggots).

This morning I saw quite a few eggs, so removed them and took the buns to the vet, where they had ivermectin as well.

A few eggs have since hatched as I've removed a few tiny little worm-like maggots this afternoon, and the vet said that the Rearguard will kill them off.

But the bluebottles are laying eggs as fast as I can remove them. The rabbits are elderly (8 years old) but in decent condition and are in a clean fresh outdoor run. Garlic powder isn't deterring the flies and I don't know what to do!

I've just thoroughly scrubbed their hutch & shed (which wasn't even very dirty), but it seems the rabbits themselves are attracting the flies. This has never happened before and I've never even seen bluebottles round here until yesterday!

Any advice/help would be very gratefully received!
 
I've just remembered a citronella candle in my cupboard. I'm going to burn that near the buns for a bit and see if that repels the flies at all (obviously well out of reach).

I'm really worried. Does anyone have any experience of dealing with fly eggs using Rearguard and ivermectin? How successful is it likely to be?

I did have a bun with maggots years ago, in the days when you used to just dunk them in water to kill the maggots - and pick them off. I believe water isn't recommended now?
 
I've not used rearguard or had this problem yet and I dread it - you did well to spot it so soon! I wonder if maybe old bunnies smell different, and attract flies in some subtle way? Maybe they have an underlying health problem which makes them smell different?

I would just keep them in the shed, with fly mesh on windows and doors, during the heat of the day, or put fly mesh or net curtain all over thier run - you can buy mozzie nets to go over beds from camping supplies or Argos had them I think. I'd also use every fly repellant going - there are loads with camping equipment or barbeque stuff.
 
Well they are now back in the shed with a citronella candle burning just outside the doorway and at this moment have no flies on them but I know there are still eggs and am going to have another go at removing them in a bit (rabbits are currently being really grumpy at being picked at all day so just giving them a short break). I'm putting mesh over the window, and have fly paper in there too but it hasn't caught any flies since yesterday - which considering the number about is weird.

The bluebottles have been literally laying eggs on one rabbit as I remove them from the other :evil:

(Just to say although the buns are not in 100% health, they have no new problems to our knowledge in the last 2-3 years - passed their annual health check just a few weeks ago.)
 
Sounds like a very strange situation.

One of my elderly buns was urine incontinent, but never had any fly eggs on her (she was indoors though).

I wonder if it's something nearby in your environment that's initially attracting them? i.e. food waste or excrement of some kind?

I would advise you call your vet for advice because maggots can eat through healthy skin which will kill your rabbit/s.

Amy
 
There is no rubbish/anything dead in our garden to attract flies, but perhaps a neighbour has something? I can't see or smell anything though. The only thing I can think of is that people walk their dogs along a path at the back of our garden but I was over there yesterday myself and there wasn't any mess near our house.

I gave them Rearguard last night and the vet gave ivermectin this morning, and I'm picking off all the eggs I can find - he did say that the maggots would hatch but die. But I'm still panicking in case any maggots somehow survive - as I know the dangers of flystrike.
 
eep! How scary. You're doing well though to keep on top of it. :-( We have a rose in our garden, which needs deadheading and I've noticed loads of flies around it. There are loads of spiders in our garden too. Luckily they seem to be ignoring the rabbits at the moment, but I am worried about them. Is there a plant around that would attract them? Although I know people don't recommend bathing them, if it would be easier to get the eggs off, I personally would be tempted to bathe the affected area.
 
Neither has open wounds at all. One is fussier with her personal hygeine than the other, but no - I wouldn't say either had a dirty bottom. One has very mild pasteurella symptoms which we've kept under control with medication for the last couple of years - I don't know if that's likely to be relevant.

I've just had another big combing/grooming session and have removed every egg that I could find - half an hour on each rabbit until they got sick of me. I've had to trim some fur away in a few patches as the eggs are quite sticky and I didn't want to end up ripping the fur out, but assuming they get through this at least the "haircut" will moult out soon.

They are still in the shed with citronella candle in the doorway and I haven't seen any flies in the shed since they went back in. I only found one tiny maggot this time so hope that the treatments plus grooming will keep things under control.
 
One of my buns had this last year (she was very ill though) and I combed the eggs out with an eyelash comb which sounds funny but worked well. The next morning I took her to the vet who gave her an injection and gave me rear guard for her and told me to keep checking her. She got over the flystrike.

I have mesh round the run as I am paranoid now and I also have an insectocutor (re-chargable from B&Q) which I sometimes use to attract the flies elsewhere.
 
A flea comb might work for removing eggs. Rearguard effects the maggots development so they will still hatch but shouldn't develop to the dangerous stage.

If they're in a shed you can hang sticky flypaper's to catch them (you can buy no toxic ones for safety).

Mossy netting will work just as well on blue bottles over mesh areas/doors.

Perhaps you could have a chat with your neighbours or drop a polite note through there door asking them to check their gardens.
 
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. They already have sticky flypaper in the shed - they have the run of the shed and are fully litter trained, so it's not like they even get dirty sitting in mess :?

I'm planning a shopping trip first thing tomorrow to buy net curtains to staple to the shed door, run etc - there are loads of charity shops near us, so hope to pick some up cheaply (which will be good as their run is 25 sq foot, so I'll need a lot). I always thought that as long as the rabbits are healthy and their home is clean you don't get maggots - it's awful to find that's not always enough.

I'm pleased to hear that someone else's rabbit fully recovered. I'm using a human nit comb to remove the eggs, which is quite good - other than getting full of fluff as they are moulty at the moment.
 
It's been suggested to me that lavender by the hutch helps to deter flies so I have a few bunches of lavender tied to the outside of the hutch
 
Thanks for the tip on lavendar - I do have some around, and will look for it later.

I've just done another grooming session and found no further eggs or baby maggots :) I know there's the chance there are still some I might have missed, or that the flies could try again - so will keep up the extra checking and grooming for a few days. I can't see any bluebottles this morning, but maybe it's still too early for them.

I hope that's the end of it, I really do.

Am now off to buy the net for the run...
 
Thanks for that idea too. I always add garlic powder to the litter and this always seems to have worked in the past. I've seen a few bluebottles back now the sun is out :(

Anyway, my charity shop mission was successful in that I got enough net for the shed door and window. None of the 11 charity shops now have any net curtains left and I'm about to start the runs - I'm not sure I have enough for both areas, but will soon find out.

For anyone also thinking of adding net to their shed, I was able to do this for a total of £4, plus staplegun

(edited to add, the mesh is stapled to their separate inner door made of chicken mesh - so buns can have fresh air even on days they can't go in the run)

n568376934_152232_4005.jpg
 
Last edited:
Now that i've moved I've been having problems with flies as well - not sure why the hutches are clean but the flies were literally swarming under my lean to. I know alot of people swear by Konk insect repellent, so in desperation I bought one. It works fantastically! Since switching it on i haven't seen a single fly - not one! It even works in my lean too which is open at both ends and has ventilation all round.

heres a link to an ebay seller - well worth the investment!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KONK-FLY-Repe...ryZ16244QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
 
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