The Human Botfly, Bot Fly Removal.

Posted by Nuker Man in Friday, February 17, 2012

How to Remove Bot Fly Larvathumbnail
Use forceps to remove bot fly larvae from under the skin.
Bot fly myiasis is a condition that is guaranteed to literally and figuratively make the skin crawl. Ranging from Mexico to Central America, the female bot fly lays her eggs on the underside of a mosquito. When the mosquito bites a human, body heat causes the eggs to hatch into larva, which penetrate the skin and become embedded in the victim's flesh. This infestation is called myiasis, and the initial symptom is a small nodule on the skin that grows over the course of several weeks. Frequently painful, the center of the nodule contains a small hole the larva uses to breathe. Although myiasis presents no health risk, discomfort often dictates removal of the larva. While sometimes removed surgically, bot fly larva are most often removed with at-home treatments.







The Botfly is an insect that in the larval stage lives in animals and sometimes in humans. Human Bot flies are found in Central and South America, particular in the sub-tropical and tropical regions.
The human botfly does not bite or lay its eggs on people, but attach its eggs to smaller flies or mosquitoes by gluing its eggs to their bodies. When the mosquito bites a person, the eggs are released onto a human and then because of the body heat, the eggs hatch into larvae and the larvae uses the mosquito bite area as the entry point or borrow themselves into the skin.
Once inside the skin, the larvae then begin feeding on the skin tissue. Tiny hooks secures the larvae in place, and it secrets an antibiotic into its burrow, which staves off competing bacteria. A boil-like lesion develops on the skin a tiny hole is present, so the larvae can breathe.
If not removed the Botfly larvae will develop inside the skin for about 6-8 weeks. The then drop out to the ground, where they pupate. Adult botflies emerge from the pupas in about 20 days, and the cycle starts all over again.

How to Remove a Botfly

To remove a botfly maggot, you have to cut off the air supply of the larvae by sealing off the air hole found in the surrounding blister.
One way to do that is cover with Petroleum Jelly, Vaseline or Duct Tape to cut off the air supply. This forces the grub to expose itself, so it can be pulled or squeezed out.
Another suggested solution to remove the larva is use a venom extractor syringe. These syringes are common in some first-aid kits to deal with snakebites.


Prevention

If bitten by a mosquito or a small fly that you think could be a carrier of the bot fly egg apply alcohol immediately to the area where you think you have been bitten. The alcohol will kill the larvae.
To prevent mosquito & insects bites, follow these guidelines:
  • Use bed nets (mosquito nets) sprayed with insecticide and insect repellents can decrease the chances of getting bit.
  • Wear protective clothing (long pants and long-sleeved shirts).
  • Use insect repellent with DEET (diethylmetatoluamide). The repellent is available in varying strengths up to 100%. In young children, use a preparation containing less than 24% strength, because too much of the chemical can be absorbed through the skin.


Bot Fly removal  Article  from http://www.boliviafacts.net/botfly.html

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How Do Bot Flies Affect My Horse?

Posted by Nuker Man

Bot Flies, or Oestridae, are small hairy flies that are often mistaken for bees. They become issues when your horse becomes a host for their larvae. Mature bot flies will lay their eggs on your horse's legs, shoulders or around his mouth by injecting their eggs in a manner resembling a bee in the process of stinging. Your horse will show the same concern when he hears them buzzing as he would when bees are present.
Bot eggs appear on your horse as tiny, sticky yellow specks. Hundreds of eggs can be deposited within minutes. Eggs on your horse's legs hatch when they are stimulated by him licking and are carried into his mouth by his tongue. When the eggs around his mouth hatch, larvae migrate into his mouth. The young larvae then take three weeks to reach your horse's stomach or small intestine. During this time, they are protected from the effects of anti-parasite medication.
Bot flies lay their eggs in late summer and early fall. Larvae attach themselves to the lining of your horse's stomach and small intestines and will feed for up to seven months before maturing. This irritation alone can cause significant problems. At their point of maturity, thebot flies will detach and drop off, leaving raw areas that are susceptible to further damage from stomach acids. In large numbers, bot fly larvae can interrupt the process of digestion and cause your horse to colic.
Once the bot flies have reached maturity, they will migrate to the surface of your horse's skin and exit. This site will appear as a lump but is not painful. Migrating bot flies can also cause mouth sores and ulcers.
It is best to remove bot fly eggs as soon as you notice them. Using a bot knife or grooming stone gently remove each of the little yellow dots from your horse. Your horse will appreciate this easy — though tedious — task, as the eggs are irritating.
Another option is to stimulate the bot fly eggs to hatch by rubbing the area with a cloth soaked in warm water. Wash the area thoroughly as soon as they have been released. During the process of removing bots, you can become infected so be vigilant with your task.
At the beginning of the cooler weather season or after the first frost, deworm your horse with an Ivermectin paste. The syringe will indicate the dosage according to your horse’s weight. If you have had a lot of bot flies during the season, it is advisable to repeat deworming after six weeks. This will insure you have not missed any of the larvae that were in transit and yet to be established in your horse's digestive track.

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Bot Flies, aka Torsalo or Dermatobia hominis

Posted by Nuker Man

Bot Flies, aka Torsalo or Dermatobia hominis

BotflyBot flies (Order Diptera, Family Cuterebridae) are large, stout bodied, hairy flies that resemble bumblebees. The botfly egg is deposited by a mosquito or sometimes by another insect. The larva grows in the host's body until it is fairly large. The botfly larva can easily be killed by taking away its air supply -- by putting vaseline or similar on the skin where the lump is, but then you still have to extract the larva. Adult botflies have nonfunctional mouthparts and do not feed. Larvae of this species parasitize wild and domestic rabbits. Females deposit their eggs in or near the entrance of their host's burrow. Bot fly larvae penetrate their host through the skin or natural body openings after hatching. The larvae form a tumor (called a warble) in the subdermal zones of their host and remain at this location until larval development is complete. Larval development varies among species, ranging from 20 to 60 days. Before pupating, the larvae leave the host's skin and drop to the soil.
Generally, the host is not severely damaged by this parasite. The majority of the injury occurs when the larvae exit the host through the warble. Parasitism by the botfly does not affect the edibility of the rabbit (assuming you eat rabbit), generally the area adjacent to the warble is trimmed away, and the rest of the rabbit is suitable to eat.
Is there such a thing as a human bot fly? Yes, we're sorry to say there is. Called the torsalo,Dermatobia hominis, occurs in Mexico and Central America. Fortunately, getting one is an extremely unlikely occurrence for the average visitor.

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2nd instar torsalo larva, note the hooks to hold it in place!
One of the really cool things about this insect is that it lays its eggs on a mosquito and the eggs hatch when the mosquito feeds on a host. Do humans get warbles? Yes, (are you disgusted yet)?
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A torsalo warble

While the maggot feeds on its host (you) it has to have a hole in the skin so it can continue to breath. It takes about 6 weeks to complete development on its host. There are stories of entomologists rearing torsalos on themselves in order to get a good specimen of an adult (which are rarely captured), but we regard this as taking your profession a little too far.

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How to Remove a Bot Fly From Under the Skin Read more: How to Remove a Bot Fly From Under the Skin

Posted by Nuker Man in Sunday, February 5, 2012

  • How to Remove a Bot Fly From Under the Skin




  • Bot flies lay their eggs on mosquitoes. If a mosquitoe bites you, the eggs can hatch under your skin. The hole left by the bite lets the developing bot fly breathe. Here are some tips for removing it.



  • Instructions

      • 1
        Apply superglue to the bite. This closes off the air hole so that the bot fly maggots cannot easily breathe. When they come up for air they stick to the super glue. Pull back the glue after it dries, and you will have maggots sticking to it.
      • 2
        Cover the hole with a small cotton ball soaked in heavy camphor oil. Tape it down and wait 8 hours. When you pull up the tape, a bot fly maggot comes out.
      • 3
        Soak in a tub of hot water and Epsom salt for 45 minutes. This will slowly kill the maggots who come to the surface to breathe.
      • 4
        Rub pine tar on the bites and bandage the skin. Remove it in 2 days and the bot fly maggots should come out on the bandage.
      • 5
        Slather on petroleum jelly. When the maggot sticks his head out to breathe, let it die, and then pull it out in one swift movement.
      • 6
        Leave the bot fly maggot alone. It will complete its cycle of life and fall out by itself.

    Tips & Warnings

    • Do not try to pull the maggot out alive. The maggots have hooks that hold them in place. You can split it in half, causing an infection.


    Read more: How to Remove a Bot Fly From Under the Skin | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2060518_remove-bot-fly-from-under.html#ixzz1lZlK19nq     

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