Red Lice Control In Sheep And Goats

This pest can lead to weight loss and blowfly strike. Fortunately, it can be controlled effectively.

Red lice (Bovicola ovis and B. limbata) are the most important lice species in sheep and goats, and both have a major economic impact on wool, hair and meat production.

A louse spends its entire life cycle on the animal, constantly moving through the fleece. In the process, it can be transferred from an infected to a non-infected animal. The pest completes its life cycle from an egg to an adult that lays eggs again in 29 days.

A light infestation (about 5 000 red lice per animal) can become a major problem within two to three months due to the pest’s short life cycle.

Red lice multiply most readily in autumn and winter. There are four reasons for this:

Temperature and humidity are at their lowest levels, which favour reproduction;

The animals’ immunity levels tend to be lower due to poor food quality and/or quantity;