Life Cycle Of Lice, Meaning, Effects, Control

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Hi, welcome to this blog on the life cycle of lice in livestock production.

Table Of Contents

  1. Meaning Of Lice
  2. The life cycle of lice
  3. Economic importance or effects of lice
  4. Control measures of lice
  5. Revision Questions

Meaning Of Lice

Lice are wingless insects with flattened bodies. They have three pairs of legs. The body is divided into three – head, Thorax and abdomen. Their bodies are made up of exoskeleton with mouth part used for biting and sucking. They attack cattle, sheep, goat and Poultry birds.

Life Cycle Of Lice

All lice passed their life cycle on the surface of the host and they cannot live long, away from their host. They lay their eggs called nits and attach them to their hair or feather of the host. The Young ones, called nymphs, emerge from the hatched eggs. This is an incomplete metamorphosis.

The nymph leaves the egg and after a series of moulting of its skin, it becomes the adult male or female Louse. The life cycle takes about three to four weeks. Transmission from host to host is by body contact.

Economic Importance Or Effects of Lice

  1. Their bites cause irritation which result in scratching and restlessness.
  2. Scratching results in sores which become sources of secondary infection.
  3. Restlessness results in low productivity of animals.
  4. They act as vectors of diseases.
  5. They suck the blood of the host, thus leading to anaemia, loss of weight and death.

Control Measure of Lice in livestock production

  1. Animals should be kept in a clean surrounding
  2. Ensure regular dipping of animals in ascaricide solution to destroy lice.
  3. Overcrowding of birds should be avoided.

Revision Questions

  1. What is lice?
  2. What are the life cycle of lice in livestock production?
  3. List the economic importance or effects of lice.
  4. What are the control measures of lice in livestock production?
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