Local Lands Services veterinarian Ian Poe, based at Kempsey, says the Macleay was once considered the southern limit of the pesky biter but in the last few years there have been regular reports of cattle being affected in the lower Hunter, with their peak season being before and after Christmas. Really wet years, as with extreme dry, seem to keep flies in check so it is more the shoulder seasons – the good growing years – when fly problems might be at their greatest.
