21/04/2026
Hold that wormer!!!
FECC is recommending putting down the wormer and waiting until late autumn/early winter. In the past we have recommended waiting for the "first frost" we do this because it's an easy visible reminder for horses owners in our part of Australia.
BUT..... we need to wait for consistent cooler nights of zero or below, I know in my region we have had some light frosts but overall nighttime temps are not low enough yet or consistent for worming to start so put down the wormer!!!
Why wait? Because we are trying to target as many parasites as possible for this worming treatment. The parasites listed below are the main targets, but we are also treating parasites not listed.
Bot Flys. We are trying to break the bot fly lifecycle which will lead to a reduction of the adult bot fly population. So, we wait until the entire bot fly population is inside your horse - no longer flying/laying eggs on coat, and they are in the correct place in the gut to be susceptible to the wormer.
Tapeworms should be treated for once a year and waiting till late autumn/ early winter is the lifecycle stage they will susceptible to the worming treatment.
Encysted Strongyles - if present will begin emerging slowly at this time of year and this is preferable. If you worm too early you may trigger a mass emergence which may lead to medical complications.
If you are in warmer areas, northern Australia, tropical areas that dont experience the cooler temps - feel free to message us for advice on what to do in this situation.
