SUCKING LICE
pierce the host's skin and draw blood
LONG NOSE LOUSE - found on the head, neck and brisket during winter to spring.

SHORT NOSE LOUSE - head, neck and brisket during winter to early spring.

CATTLE TAIL LOUSE - immatures are found on various parts of the body, adults are found in the brush of the tail during summer to late fall and sometimes year round.

BITING LICE
feed on particles of hair, scabs and cellular debris on the skin's surface.
CATTLE TAIL LOUSE - can be a severe problem in fall, winter or spring

LIFE CYCLE

• Female lice glue their eggs to the hair of the host, close to the skin
• hatch 8-12 days depending on the species and temperature
• nymphs are full grown in about 3 weeks
• transmission by contact, from one animal to another
• some lice may move from place to place by clinging to flies or herd to herd by a carrier animal
• Most sucking lice and the biting louse begin to increase in number during the fall and reach peak populations in late winter or early spring. Summer populations are usually minimal

TREATMENT

• louse populations vary seasonally depending on the condition of the host.
• an animal under stress will usually support a larger louse population than normal.
• pesticides do not kill louse eggs
• eggs hatch 8-12 days making retreatment necessary 2 weeks after the first pesticide application
• cattle tail lice eggs can survive 40 days, require a 3 week interval between treatments
• pour-on applications and residual sprays are the most practical treatment

Characterized by having one pair of wings. Flies come into contact with livestock for a short period of time making control measures difficult. There are blood-sucking flies and non-blood sucking flies. Since blood sucking flies pierce the host's skin and draw blood they can be mechanical transmitters of a number of diseases such as anthrax, tularemia, and anaplasmosis.

BLOOD SUCKING FLIES
BLACK FLY - Adult females suck blood mainly during daylight hours and are not host specific. Hovers about eyes, ears and nostrils alighting and puncturing the skin with a irritating bite. Llarge numbers can cause weakness, anaphylactic shock or deat

LIFE CYCLE

• eggs on logs, rocks or solid surfaces in eddies of flowing streams
• larval period varies depending on the species and larval environment.

TREATMENT

• seasonally self limiting
• residual sprays only temporary relief

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HORN FLY - Pierces the skin to suck blood, a persistent biter. May cause open sores on the head and underline, can predispose animal to secondary infection. Flies tend to cluster at preferred sites, generally the root of the horn on Highland cattle which can cause deformation of the horn. Mechanical transmission of anaplasmosis.

LIFE CYCLE

• eggs laid exclusively in fresh cow manure within 10 minutes
• larvae hatch 18 hours and feed on dung
• pupal stage last 3-5 days
• adults emerge 3 days
• mate on host, lay about 200 eggs
• egg to adult 10-14 days
• adults remain on host day and night

TREATMENT

• 50 or more per animal are considered to be of economic importance
• susceptible to chemical control measures
• ear tags, sprays, forced use of dust bags
• back rubbers and pour ons are the least effective
• udder balm rubbed on the base of the horn discourages hornflies

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HORSE FLY and DEER FLY - Females bite. Daytime feeders with a vicious bite. Painful bites and frequent attacks cause frenzied behaviour in hosts

LIFE CYCLE

• eggs deposited in layers on vegetation, objects over water, moistareas favourable to larval development
• hatch 5-7 days, larvae fall to water surface or moist areas were they feed on organic matter
• when larvae are ready to pupate they move to drier earth, usually 1 or 2 inches below the soil surface
• pupal stage 2-3 weeks after which the adult emerges. Depending on the species the life cycle varies from 70 days to 2 years.

TREATMENT

• difficult pests to control due to rapid flight and brief landing

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MOSQUITO - Piercing-sucking mouthparts. Females bite

LIFE CYCLE

• 4 stages
• eggs laid directly on water surface or damp soil
• eggs hatch 2 to 3 days, larvae feed in the water on organic matter 7-10 days
• pupal 2-3 days
• adult emerges from pupal skin at the water surface

TREATMENT

• several species attack livestock and can cause unthriftiness and weight loss
• reduction or draining of mosquito breeding sites is the most effective prevention
• residual sprays are impractical and only a temporary measure

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SAND FLY and BITING MIDGE - Small biting flies, annoyance and irritation. Also known as punkies or no-see-ums. Known vector of blue tongue virus and some are intermediate hosts of helminths.

LIFE CYCLE

• breed in wet or aquatic habitats
• little is known of the life cycle of those affecting livestock

TREATMENT

• difficult and almost impossible to control

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SAND FLY - Bayonet-like mouthparts which differentiate it from the house fly. Both sexes bite. Strong fliers and range up to 80 miles. Bite wounds serve as sites for secondary infections and can be mechanical transmitters of anthrax and anaplasmosis

LIFE CYCLE

• breed- soggy hay, feed, fermenting weed or grass clippings, sea weed deposits, sometimes manure mixed with hay
• females lay 500-600 eggs in loose material
• hatch 2-5 days
• larvae crawls into loose material to feed
• 14-26 days mature
• Average life cycle is 28 days but can vary from 22-58 depending on weather

TREATMENT

• usually less than 10 per animal, more indicates a breeding area
• breeding source should be dispersed and allowed to dry
• fogging and misting of temporary benefit

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LIFE CYCLE

• lays eggs chiefly on the hair of cattle, attaching 5 to 15 eggs to a single hair
• cattle dislike the sound of the fly, which sounds and looks like a small bee
• eggs are laid on the hair on the lower legs
• eggs hatch within 7 days
• the maggot burrows through the skin, migrates through connective tissue, assisted by enzyme secretion.
• the common cattle grub moves to the mucous membrane of the esophagus some species locate at the spinal cord
• during the fall, migrating first stage larvae begin reaching the backs of cattle where they cut or digest a breathing hole through the skin
• larvae molt in the warble formed in the back to second stages in 3-4 days and grow rapidly, feeding on pus, necrotic cells and secretions from the wall of the warble or cyst where it remains for 1-2 months
• grub squeezes through the breathing hole and drops to the ground to pupate.
• pupation 2-3 days, pupal stage take 20-60 days depending on the temperature
• life cycle requires about 1 year

TREATMENT

• timing of treatment is very important, specific dates for treatment are established depending on geographical location
• grubs must be killed before they reach the gullet or spinal cord because killed grubs in these areas can cause swelling and paralysis
• sprays, dips, feed additives and pour-ons are recommended, pour-ons give the best results

BARN ITCH Barely visible to the eye. Psoroptes, Sarcoptes and Chorioptes (often called barn itch) feed on the surface or burrow just beneath the skin making very slender, winding tunnels from .1 to 1 inch long. Fluid discharged at the tunnel openings dries to form nodules, a toxin is also secreted causing intense irritation and itching infection may spread to entire body forming large, cracked scabs on the thickening skin

FOLLICULAR and DEMODETIC are microscopic, cigar-shaped, worm-like organisms, all stages of the life cycle are within the hair follicle causing minor nodular lesions in the skin

LIFE CYCLE

• life cycle requires less than 4 weeks and in some species only 8 days
• Chorioptic starts around the tail head, escutcheon and down the inside of the hind legs

TREATMENT

• dipping, high pressure sprays, injectable and pour-ons
• left untreated the disease can be debilitating to fatal
• demodectic mange is frequently self-limiting and treatment is of little use.

Infestation of fly maggots. Several kinds of maggots infest the wounds of warm-blooded animals. Primary screwworm feeds exclusively on live flesh. Secondary screwworm and other blow flies may also infest wounds.

LIFE CYCLE

• common maggot eggs are usually found on carcasses of dead animals, wound secretions and may occasionally occur in an open wound
• as the maggots develop they consume dead tissue and may cause some healthy tissue to die and then will feed on this dead tissue
• wet newborn Highland calves are susceptible during blow fly season, eggs are deposited before the hair is completely dry after birth

TREATMENT

• newborn calves should be checked for a week or two during blow fly season
• any damp spots appearing on the body should be checked and if infested combed out and the area treated with an insecticidal ointment, spray or dust
• maggots at the anus should be cleaned off and treated with an ointment
• spraying the head of the tail of a newborn calf will often eliminate the problem before it starts
• debilitated animals should also be checked especially about the anus

Easily distinguished. Body is a fused thorax and abdomen with a sac-like leathery appearance, lacks distinct head. Head-like stucture has recurved teeth that are inserted into host for a secure grip. Females are greatly distended and have a bean-like appearance when fully engorged with blood. Males, females and immatures feed on blood and lymph Cause inflammation, itching and swelling at the bite, serves as site for secondary infection. Heavy infestations cause severe irritation and anemia, infected animals may be lethargic and unthrifty.

LIFE CYCLE

• deposit 100-18,000 eggs on the ground
• larval or seed ticks emerge in 2 weeks, climb up low vegetation and can remain there for up to 8 months waiting to contact a passing animal
• larvae molt into nymphs (have 2-5 stages) both adults and nymphs have 8 legs
• majority drop off the host to molt after feeding then continue the cycle
• adult ticks are seen on animals in late summer and early fall

TREATMENT

• premise control kills ticks which are either engorged or on foliage waiting to contact a host
• cattle are best treated with insecticide spray
• manual removal of a few ticks is easily achieved by lighting a match, blow it out and apply the hot tip to the body of the tick

Contamination can be reduced by pasture rotation, periodically plowing and reseeding pastures, protecting feeders and watering areas from fecal contamination. Dragging pastures distributes manure, exposing worm eggs to sunlight. Worms are very small and normally only seen with a magnifying glass. A tablespoonful of fresh manure checked by the veterinarian will indentify any internal parasites.

Symptoms: watery diarrhea, rough hair coat, and general unthriftiness. Animals with a moderate worm infestation and adequate nutrition will not display external evidence of parasites.

   Black Fly