How to Prevent Lice in Cattle
There are two types of lice that can live on cattle: sucking lice and chewing lice. Sucking lice suck blood from a cow, while chewing lice scrape material from the skin and eat it. These parasites are visible to the naked eye.
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Instructions
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1
Feed the cattle well. Poorly fed cattle are more likely to have lice.
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Keep the cattle storage facility clean. Lice are spread by direct contact during shipping or feeding or by indirect contact through fences and bedding. While most lice die if they are removed from their host, biting lice are hardy enough to sometimes survive for a short time. Keeping the facility clean and neat will greatly reduce the lice population. You can also use insecticides for a more complete cleansing of the area.
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3
Quarantine all cattle with lice until they are treated.
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4
Use insecticide lice spray on the cattle. Systemic products provide long-term control of lice with a single application. Some of the commonly used products are ivermectin, doramectin, eprinomectin and moxidectin. Systemic insecticides are used when it is not known whether the cattle are infested.
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Use lice spray more frequently during the winter. Cattle are usually sprayed every 18 days, but they should be sprayed every 14 days during winter because the lice population increases greatly. Frequent sprays will also keep away horn flies, ticks, face-flies, nymphs and nits.
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Use non-systemic insecticides when it is clear that the cattle are infested with parasites. A non-systemic insecticide must contain chemicals like permethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin and cyfluthrin.
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Tips & Warnings
Inspect cattle before the start of winter--start the insecticide sooner rather than later.
Do not treat calves with insecticides. When multiple treatments are used, adverse reactions can occur. Read the insecticide label before use. If any adverse reactions occur, call a veterinarian immediately.
