Flystrike question...

Just been out to clear out the bunnie hutch... They've been having hay all over the hutch floor as it was quite chilly so I scrubbed them out tonight.

I did give them a clear out a few days ago too but tonight, I decided to spray some of the antibacterial stuff. When I did, loads of baby flies came crawling out a teeny corner at the back. There seems to be a gap where the lino doesn't quite meet the hutch and it was really wet down there, I must have missed giving it a clean the last few times.

Have brought the buns in and the OH has just poured boiling hot water all over the inside of the hutch. There was probably between 20 and 30 baby flies, varying in size. Has made me feel really ill.

Have checked both buns bottoms but nothing seems to be there. Their feet and bums aren't wet at all or dirty as it was just this corner which had gotten soaken with wee, the rest of the hutch is always clean.

How do I know for sure they haven't got eggs in their bottom area? I've googled but have only found pictures of full on fly strike when they've eaten into the skin!

Going to order some fly mesh to put on the new hutch when it comes, over the existing mesh it has.

This has really scared me, I've never experienced this before with bunnies, even when I had buns as a teenager and was awful at cleaning them out.

What other prevantative measures can I take? They will be going back to litter trays now that the cold weather has past so that is easily changed daily but is there anything else?

Try getting hold of some Diatomaceous earth - it's a very fine crystally powder thing that kills things like lice, flies, mites, etc but would be of no harm to the rabbits if ingested - in fact some people use it as a wormer in dogs and cats. If you sprinkle it in that corner it should ensure that no nasties can live there.

Sorry I can't be more help!

I use citronella diluted in water to clean the litter trays out.I also pin outside the shed cotton wool soaked in pure citronella,wrapped in muslin.Flies hate the smell and it for the past six years seems to have done the trick x

What's citronella please?

Ruthie xxx

depending how big the flies are a flea comb might do the trick, they're only about 30p and should pull out any little insects hiding in the coat. You have to be gentle with rabbit fur though because their skin is so fragile.

I really worry about flystrike in the summer

Ruthie xxx

bumblicious said:

What's citronella please?

Ruthie xxx

Click to expand...

It is an oil used from the leaves and stems of cymbopogon.
It is used world wide as an insect repellant x

I believe the maggots look like tiny grains of rice, just so you know what to look out for.

I would imagine the flies you describe are different to the ones that cause flystrike, although are still unpleasant. Flystrike can be seen as tiny (about 1mm ish) yellowish eggs anywhere between skin and tip of the fur, not just on the bottom (although that is the usually targeted area). Once hatched, I think they start hatching within an hour but I could be wrong, the maggots are about 3mm+ and grow rapidly, little whiteish wrigly things and they head straight for skin, usually somewhere they can break into easily. If you go through the coat very thoroughly you should see any signs, but as I say, I think its the larger flies that cause problems, I think the flies you are on about are a different species and just horrible rather than harmful.

I didnt know that citronella was safe to use close to small pets, so from now on Ill keep my citronella stuff round the outside of the piggles and stuff once the flies appear. :thumb:

Where can you buy citronella?

Ruthie xxx

I think I seen it in the range and dunhelm mills near the oils n pot pourri 

I get mine from ebay

And you can soak cotton wool in it and hang it outside the bunnies' home and it works?

ruthie xxx

Yes seems to do

Oh I think I'll try this then. I worried so much and flystrike last year I feel like it's a constant worry in the summer and I'm sure it will be even worse this summer with 2 bunnies!

Ruthie xxx

im paranoid too. patch (RIP) had flystrike a few yrs ago and had to be pts. trust me, you would know if their were maggots! patch had problems cleaning herself-thats why she had the problem. so its good their bums are clean and dry. im outting flynets over the hutch doors and am getting some stuff to put on their backsides as a repellant too. i HATE flies!!! it doesnt help that the council dont do the bins every week. they do them every other week instead :evil:

We also have that problem with the bins but thankfully the bins are a bit away from the bunnies. Bins are the front of the house and bunnies are in teh back garden. I'm really sorry about Patch that must have been awful

Ruthie xxx

Rearguard can be used on bunnies only available on prescription (it stops eggs hatching). If you don't like putting things like this on your bunny, I would recommend keeping one in as an emergency in your first aid kit.

I tend to use it only if I am going away and someone else is looking after them. If I don't go away it is a minimum of 2 bum checks per day. Litter trays cleaned out twice per day rather than once a day.

I also have mesh on the front of their dog kennel. Obviously you also have to be careful not to trap flies in.

I also have one of the fly zapper things that plugs in.

I have previusly experienced flystrike on a bunny (who was very ill and obviously the flies could sense it) and if caught quick enough it is treatable - she survived the flystrike as nothing had hatched but unfortunately we lost her to cancer a week later

im going to put lavinde and marigolds in pots near where they live as i heard flies dont like them lol and their pretty

There are links to a couple of videos on flystrike in the Old Useful Topics sticky at the top of the Health forum & one of them covers prevention methods, so it might be worth a look there too. :wave: