Managing Lice Infestations in Cattle

Lice infestations are common parasites affecting cattle worldwide, leading to discomfort, reduced weight gain, hide damage, and even anaemia in severe cases.

As a cattle farmer, it’s crucial to understand lice biology and infestation signs and implement integrated lice management practices for effective control. In this blog article, we will cover all you need to know about identifying and managing cattle lice on your farm.

What are Cattle Lice?

Cattle can become hosts to chewing lice or sucking lice. Lice are host-specific external parasites equipped with mouthparts for feeding and clinging to hair shafts near the skin. Common lice species affecting cattle include:

• Bovicola bovis (chewing louse)
• Linognathus vituli (sucking louse)
• Haematopinus eurysternus (short-nosed sucking louse)
• Solenopotes capillatus (little blue cattle louse)

These tiny, wingless insects complete their entire life cycle on cattle by feeding on skin debris, blood, and tissue fluids. Female lice attach eggs (nits) to hair shafts, hatching larvae in 1-2 weeks that molt into adults in 10-12 days.

Signs of Lice Infestations in Cattle

Detecting lice early is key for effective treatment. Signs of lice infestations in cattle include:

• Excessive scratching and grooming
• Skin irritation, sores, and scabs
• Bald patches from rubbing
• Anemia from blood-feeding lice
• Reduced weight gain
• Low milk production

Check cattle closely for lice eggs and adults crawling near the neck, withers, back, tail head and escutcheon. Part the hair and inspect the skin to gauge infestation levels.

Managing Cattle Lice

An integrated lice management plan should include treatment combined with preventive measures targeting the lice life cycle. Here are some best practices:

1. Apply Insecticide Treatments

Pyrethroid pour-ons, organophosphates, macrocyclic lactones and avermectins effectively kill lice when applied properly. Ensure complete animal coverage along the backline.

Always read and follow label directions. Re-treat 14 days later to kill newly emerged lice before they reproduce. Rotate products from different chemical classes annually to prevent resistance.

2. Groom Cattle

Groom-infested areas with rubber curry combs to mechanically disrupt and remove lice. Daily grooming stimulates preening behaviors for self-grooming while dislodging eggs and adults. Combine with dust bags for self-application of pesticides.

3. Use Genetics

Select breeds with slick, short hair coats that allow fewer sites for lice attachment, survival and reproduction. British and European breeds tend to be more susceptible than Brahmans and other zebu-type breeds.

4. Reduce Stress

Minimize conditions causing immunosuppression like poor nutrition, commingling cattle, inclement weather, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions. Stressed cattle exhibit reduced grooming, allowing lice populations to thrive.

5. Quarantine New Arrivals

Isolate incoming cattle for 2-3 weeks before introducing to the herd. Monitor closely and treat for lice if detected during quarantine. Prevent introducing lice via fences or equipment contacting infested/non-infested groups.

6. Coordinate Regional

Treatment Synchronizing lice treatments within geographic areas helps reduce re-infestations between neighboring farms. Break lice life cycles regionally for sustained control.

7. Maintain Clean Environments

Remove manure buildup and soiled bedding to eliminate lice survival refuges off-host. Fix leaky roofs, driplines and broken fences, eliminating wet conditions favourable for lice.

Lice Infestations on Cattle are more common in What Season?

1. Colder Weather Allows Lice to Thrive

Lice are susceptible to high heat and desiccation. The cooler, more humid conditions of winter allow cattle lice to survive and reproduce better on their hosts. Hot summer temperatures cause lice egg and nymph stages to dry out and die more readily keeping populations in check seasonally.

2. Cattle Grow Long Winter Coats

Cattle develop thicker hair coats and winter undercoats to conserve body heat as temperatures drop. However, these long winter hair coats provide more attachments sites and protected microenvironments ideal for lice populations to rapidly build up to irritating levels. More hair also makes detecting and treating lice infestations more difficult.

3. Cattle are Housed More Closely

During winter months, cattle are more likely to be grouped closely together in enclosed housing facilities like barns and hutches. The crowding stress and direct contact aids the spread and cross-infestation of lice between animals. Outbreaks escalate when one louse-infested animal joins the herd sharing the confines of indoor winter quarters.

4. Cattle Stress Levels Rise

Inclement winter weather, cold stress, poor ventilation, overcrowding, excessive mud/manure, and reduced sun exposure are stressors. Stressed cattle exhibit depressed immunity, allowing lice to thrive. Also, cattle groom less which allows lice to multiply rapidly, reaching irksome levels by late winter.

Cattle lice follow pronounced winter seasonal patterns fueled by favourable cool humid conditions, long winter hair coats, overcrowding, and host stress – all more prevalent during colder months. Accordingly, extra vigilance for lice control is warranted as temperatures decline to prevent economic losses.

Conclsuion;

With vigilance, proactive treatments and biosecurity, cattle producers can gain the upper hand on lice infestations impacting animal health and farm profits. Implementing science-based integrated lice management practices is key to successful control programs.