Red Lice Control In Sheep And Goats

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

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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;