Treat Now For Lice

ELDON COLE

MOUNT VERNON, MISSOURI

   When do you normally treat your cattle for lice? As with a lot of animal treatments you do it when you see evidence of the problem. 

   It’s no different for lice on cattle as we treat when you see them slipping hair, rubbing on fences, feed bunks trees, etc. That’s usually in later winter.

   Well, chances are your cattle may already have a louse infestation. 

   There are generally two types of lice, the blood sucking type and the chewing type that feed on the surface of the animals’ skin. Both are irritants to the cattle and cause a reduction in gain which takes money out of your pocket.

   The old, “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” is sure applicable with lice control. Early in the season, like now, you won’t actually see evidence of lice unless you have them restrained in the chute. Perhaps you’ve used a parasite control already this fall and that could help in lice control. Unfortunately, a single treatment with a spray or pour-on product won’t control lice eggs or nits so you need a follow-up treatment to control the next generation of lice.

   If you’re a stocker operator or buying breeding stock you should consider your new animals have some degree of lousiness and treat or isolate them from your “clean” cattle. Be sure to read the label instructions or check with your veterinarian about topical pour-ons that will give greatest protection from lice. Old fly tags are worthless at this point so hopefully you’ve removed them.

   Backrubbers and dust bags may give some relief if kept charged. 

   Injectable products likely won’t help on the chewing lice, the best method will be sprays or pour-ons. ∆

   ELDON COLE: Extension Livestock Specialist, University of Missouri