In communications to the Zoning board about the Andrew Cross & Dorothea Lotter d/b/a Edgewood Longears Safehouse zoning case, one of the concerns that I've voiced concerns pestilence, which includes flies and rodents. Flies have been a big problem now for a couple of years and rodents have been a concern, especially mice, since they can carry two deadly diseases: Hanta Virus and Plague, among other transmissible diseases, including cuterbra aka "bot fly", a parasite. Cuterebra flies are found in conjunction with rodents and, as any horse owner knows, rodents are a problem when you have livestock to feed.
http://www.doghealth.com/parasites/cuterebra-infestations-in-dogs
Several of us have complained to Zoning about the trash in their yards and that the trash can serve as a home for mice, rats, snakes (rattlesnakes), black widow spiders, and other unwanted critters.
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| Trash Piles for Rodents and Other Pests to Hide |
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), "Plague has occurred in rural and semi-rural areas of the western United States, primarily in semi-arid upland forests and grasslands where many types of rodent species can be involved. Many types of animals, such as rock squirrels, wood rats, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, mice, voles, and rabbits can be affected by plague."
We've lived out here for 20 years and in all that time, some of our neighbors have had a horse or two. When we first moved in all those years ago, there were people out here running cattle. One morning, I awoke to find 5 steer of various vintages roaming around in my garden. I went outside and shooed them away with a dish cloth. The sheriff's dept came by and lassoed them up and took them home. It's been interesting. However, I must say in all those years, we've never had the fly problems like we have had the past 2 or 3 years.
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| Nampa's Butt - Bot Fly Larva Infection |
This year, the flies have been absolutely wicked. Before putting the dogs outside for any reason, they get sprayed with fly spray. The yard is picked up religiously to help control flies. We are using fly traps... fly paper... and fly swatters and still there are flies. I HATE flies! The large numbers of donkeys being kept by the neighbors doesn't help with the fly situation and neither does the fact that they do not religiously pick up the animal waste in their yards.
So, where am I going with this? Several of my dogs have been infected with bot fly larvae. My vet is of the opinion that the problem has its roots in the neighbors' donkeys, probably from the manure that isn't picked up regularly. That manure draws in the flies. In 20 years, we've never had a dog get a bot fly infection. Now, at least three of them are infected. I'm seriously upset.
Oh... by the way, people can also become infected with bot flies. I think it's time to buy some hazmat suits for us and the dogs.
