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Farmers advised how to keep midges away
THE outbreak of bluetongue – which is spread by midges – is causing great concern for farmers within the Peterborough control zone.
THE outbreak of bluetongue – which is spread by midges – is causing great concern for farmers within the Peterborough control zone.On high alert is Manor House Farm in Greatford, near Stamford, where there are fears for the sheep.
A spokesman said: "We are very worried that the disease could spread.
Read more: Fears cattle stranded by outbreak could die
THERE are fears today that 800 stranded cattle could die in the fields this winter because of bluetongue outbreak restrictions.
Special Report, add your comments: Farmers say they'll beat bluetongue outbreak together.
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"At the moment, we are going by what the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is telling us.
"In the meantime, we are keeping a close eye on the flock and working closely with the farms in the area.
"We are hoping that we will rise above it, and the disease will just pass away."
Peterborough group secretary for the Nation Farmers Union Stuart Bish said: "The advice we are giving at the moment is not to spray insecticides around animals.
"The effects are only short-lived, and these would have to be resprayed very regularly, which would cause stress to the animals.
"Farmers should keep dung heaps away from animals and where animals are housed, as the larvae of the midges that spread the disease live in and around the dung.
"Most farmers already move the dung away very quickly, but as we get nearer to winter that can be easier said than done.
"Not a lot is known about how the midges cope with the colder winter weather, and we are a bit more to the north than many cases already discovered, but we hope it will quieten down in the coming months."
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -5 C to -1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 1 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
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