Lice Control

As weather cools and cattle are more confined, lice can become an issue. We don’t see this external parasite during the summer months because cattle are often spread out and have shorter hair coats, deterring these animal specific insects. However, with declining temperatures comes longer haircoats and cattle congregating in dry lots and other areas to help stay warm.

Signs of lice in cattle include scratching and hair loss, which can become significant. Balding areas such as the points of the shoulders and around the tail are frequent, but hair loss isn’t confined to these locations. As with any external parasite, irritation caused by lice will result in decreased feed consumption and less weight gain. Because of this it is a concern in both cow-calf and backgrounder operations.

There are multiple species of lice that can infect cattle, including chewing and biting lice. However, it isn’t typically important to know what species of lice you are dealing as long as you use a product that will kill all species.

Pour-on treatments are most frequently used for the prevention and control of lice. They are a cost-effective way to treat this parasite and are generally labeled for all species of lice. Some lice control products also contain an insect growth regulator (IGR) that will prevent the development of nits (eggs) in addition to the adulticide that kills the mature lice.

There are injectable products labeled for sucking lice. However, although these products cover a broad spectrum of internal parasites in addition to external parasites, they are not labeled for biting lice, so we typically discourage their use.

When choosing a product to use, it’s important to consider if you also need a dewormer. If lice are your main concern, it is ideal to use a pour-on product labeled only for external parasite control. Excessive use of dewormers for internal parasites can lead to parasite resistance issues. By selectively deworming based on class of cattle and body condition score of cows we can ensure that our dewormers are effective for years to come.

If you want to be proactive in controlling this pesky parasite, we recommend applying a pour-on treatment with an IGR between Thanksgiving and Christmas. All animals in a group and other cattle with potential contact (such as fence line contact in a dry lot) will need to be treated for any treatment to be effective. If new animals are added to a group, they should be treated for lice prior to induction to other cattle to prevent them from bringing in lice.

If you have show cattle, lice can be spread by equipment such as halters and combs and this equipment should be cleaned at the time of lice treatment. Ensuring pens are adequately stocked and not overcrowded can also help reduce the spread of lice.

Please consult us for specific lice treatment product recommendations for your unique herd and goals!