Blowfly breakthrough

39YEARS AGO The blowfly menace was deemed “about to reach a new watershed,” thanks to the release of two new pesticides:

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The search for a preventive pesticide against the blowfly began nearly 30 years ago when it became clear that existing treatments were unable to check the spread of the parasite. From that search emerged a compound called diazinon which, for a while, proved to be effective. But gradually blowflies built up resistance.

Now the maker of diazinon, Ciba-Geigy, has developed a successor, Vetrazin SP50, which is not only far more effective but also very cost-efficient.

The unique formulation attacks the blowfly larvae, severely impairing their feeding and development and causing malformations and eventual death. In tests it has been proved to control blowfly attack for up to 10 weeks. The formulation also prevents the attack from all existing resistant strains of the blowfly.