Day 2: 17 June 2009

The pigs were placed 24 hours ago and already there has been blow fly activity. Blow flies are often the first to colonize a corpse due to their excellent sense of smell, laying their eggs on the soft tissues usually around natural body openings or open wounds. Two of the pigs at CSU will be moved to University Farm this afternoon.

Pig 1. Location: University Farm. Eggs have been deposited on the hind leg.

Pig 2. Location: University Farm. Blow flies have deposited eggs in eyes and mouth.

While the pigs at the farm have had blow fly activity, the pigs at CSU have a large number of ants swarming on the carcasses as well. The ants are scavengers, feeding on fly eggs and maggots.

Pig 4. Location: CSU. Large number of ants on the eyeball, collecting blow fly eggs from the eye and mouth of the pig (Above). The abscess on the hind leg is more swollen (Below).

Pig 6. Location: CSU, to be moved to farm. This pig has a few eggs on its nose and in the mouth (not visible in this picture).

Eggs were collected from all 6 pig carcasses. 25 of the eggs will be placed in alcohol and preserved and 25 other eggs will be placed in a container to rear to the adult stage for identification.

Submitted by Krystal Hans, MS student, Cleveland State University, 1 July 2009.