At the Conservators' Center we work hard to be sure the lives of every animal are filled with wonderful enrichment, nutritious food, and a pleasant habitat . But, part of the cost of leaving the grass long enough to provide a secure place to hide,and the diets consisting of whole prey is that they can cause additional attractions for flies and other pests. With all the additional rain we received this spring, the fly problem is especially challenging this year.

     Some types of flies bite the animals, leaving painful welts and even open sores. Uncontrolled fly problems led to the damage caused to Ugmo Lioness' ears before she arrived here, and she has scars on her ears to this day. Note the picture on the left - the dark coloration (damage) on the tips of her ears where there should be fur.

     In the past we have used traps and repellant creams. These methods are not controlling the pest population as needed. This year we would like to try a type of insect that consumes fly larvae and breaks their reproduction cycle. These are recommended by the area dairy and horse farmers. The cost of ordering these insects in shipments every 2-3 weeks between now and the end of fly season in October is $675.00. This amount will cover the rest of the season for this year. If you are interested in this process or have questions on how these insects work please visit www.spalding-labs/com

This is important for the protection of the animals health and well-being. Please give through this easy on line page, or by donating through PayPal on our website www.conservatorscenter.org. You are also welcome to send a check or call us to charge a credit card. Every dollar gets us closer to protecting our animals from this growing nuisance.

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!