To inspect a mob for lice

Select 10 sheep, focus on sheep which show any sign of wool derangement or rubbing. Lay the selected sheep on its side in a well-lit position, part the wool and look for lice. If you need glasses to read the telephone book, make sure you use your glasses when looking for lice. A magnifying glass can help. Lice can be seen by parting the wool, at least 10 partings that are 10cm in length per side should be done. The more sheep you inspect, the more chance you have of finding lice if they are present.

Watch this video of our Technical Services Manager demonstrating the best way to check for lice

Product rotation

It is very tempting to find a product that works and then to stick with it year in and year out. However, prolonged use of any lice treatment can lead to lice becoming resistant to the active ingredient in that lice treatment. This means that lice survive a dose of the chemical which would previously be considered lethal. Continued use of that chemical allows the resistant lice to breed until they make up the majority of the population and this could impact your wool production profitability. It is important therefore not only to rotate between different lice treatments, but to rotate between different modes of action of your lice treatments. For example, you may use isoxazoline based products (e.g. Fluralaner) for a couple of years and then change to macrocyclic lactone based product (e.g. abamectin) to decrease the risk of building resistance.