Lice infestations during winter housing represent a significant challenge for cattle producers, particularly organic operations raising cattle without chemical inputs. This series of fact sheets from University of Vermont Extension describes the life cycle of cattle lice, control strategies based on integrated pest management (IPM) principles, and the use of essential oils as alternative controls.
Winter cattle lice, part 1: Biology and life cycle of cattle lice
This fact sheet provides information on the biology and life cycle of winter cattle lice. It also discusses the importance of effective control in economic, environmental, and animal health terms.
Winter cattle lice, part 2: Control of lice in cattle
This fact sheet provides a summary of the various treatment and IPM options for controlling cattle lice in both conventional and organic production systems.
Winter cattle lice, part 3: Essential oils for the alternative control of cattle lice
This fact sheet provides the results from UVM laboratory and field work describing how essential oils can be used for effective control of winter cattle lice.
Want more information? See the related SARE grant:
- Evaluating Essential Oil-based Formulations for the Alternative Control of Winter Cattle Lice (ONE22-429)
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.