Got Lice? Management practices for lice control on cattle
DOWNLOADOctober 7, 2025 - Michigan State University Extension
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EmailAnyone who owns livestock has likely had to deal with lice at some point. For most livestock owners, lice control is part of their health management protocol. However, with “routine” often comes a lack of understanding of how best to manage lice, especially as new technologies evolve. The five species of cattle lice found in North America include four that feed by sucking blood. These are the shortnosed cattle louse, longnosed cattle louse, little blue cattle louse, and the cattle tail louse. The fifth species, the cattle biting louse, feeds on skin tissue of cattle. Adult lice live on the surface of the hide under the hair coat.
