8
INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
[VOL. XXIX, PART I
Both the insecticides, namely 0.5 per cent DDT and 0.1 per cent lindane, that were
tried against buffalo louse H. tuberculatus gave cent per cent control of the motile stages of
the louse within a day of treatment and gave protection to the treated buffalo calves from
re-infestation with the parasite for one and four weeks respectively. The longer effective
period of lindane is believed to be due to its ovicidal action on the eggs of lice.
Each of the treatments i.e., 0.25 per cent DDT, 0.1 per cent lindane, 0.2 per cent
chlordane, 0.25 per cent dialdrin, 0.05 per cent diazinon and 0.25 per cent malathion
gave cent per cent control of the motile stages of the cattle louse L. vituli within a day of treat-
ment and kept the treated calves free from lice at least for a period of six weeks, but when the
concentration of the insecticides was reduced (DDT 0.1 per cent. lindane 0.05 per cent,
chlordane 0.05 per cent, dieldrin 0.1 per cent, diazinon 0.025 per cent and malathion 0.05
per cent) though the initial control was complete with each of the treatments, the effective
period with each was very much shortened.
In a trial against goat lice L. stenopsis and D. caprae carried out in summer months each
of the treatments namely 0.2 per cent DDT, 0.1 per cent lindane, 0.2 per cent toxaphene,
0.05 per cent chlordane, 0.2 per cent rhothane, 0.1 per cent aldrin, 0.1 per cent dialdrin,
0.05 per cent diazinon and 0.05 per cent malathion gave 100 per cent control of the motile
stages of both the species of lice in 24 hours and protected the goats from re-infestation with
lice for 12 to 18 weeks. In another trial carried out against these lice, in winter and with the
concentration reduced to half of that in the preceding trial in the case of DDT, lindane,
toxaphene, and rhothane, the initial kill of the motile stages of the lice was still complete but
the effective periods were reduced to seven to nine weeks.
The reasons for the variation in protective periods obtained in different trials carried out
at different times with the same insecticides against the same kinds of lice is briefly discussed.
No adverse effect of any of the treatments used in these trials was observed on any of the
treated animals.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors express their grateful thanks to Shri L. Sahai, former Director of the Institute
(at present Animal Husbandry Commissioner with the Government of India), and to Dr.
H. D. Srivastava, Head of the Parasitology Division, Indian Veterinary Research Institute,
Izatnagar/Mukteswar for providing the necessary facility to carry out these trials. They
also thank Dr. N. D. Kehar, former Head of the Animal Nutrition Division and
the present Director of this Institute for kind permission to use the lice-infested buffalo calves
of that Division in these trials.
REFERENCES
Annand, P. N. (1947), Report of the Chief of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, Agricultural
Research Administration, USDA, 1944-45, 63 pp. (R.A.E.(B) 37 : 66, 1949). Original not seen.
Batte, E. G. and Gaines, T. G. (1948). Chlordane vs. DDT for horse louse. J. econ. Ent. 41 : 830-31
Brown, A. W. A. (1947). DDT to control Bovicola limbata. J. econ. Ent. 40 : 605
Craufurd-Benson, H. J. (1941). The cattle lice of Great Britain. Part I. Biology with special reference to
Haematopinus eurysternus. Parasit. 33 : 331-342
Creighton, J. T. and Dennis, N. M. (1947). The tail louse in Florida. J. econ. Ent. 40 : 911-912
Furman, D. P. (1947). Benzene hexachloride to control cattle lice. J. econ. Ent. 40 : 672-675
Roberts, F. H. S. (1938). Cattle lice : Their economic importance in Queensland. Aust. Vet. J. 14 : 55-58.
Simms, B. T. (1946).
Report of the Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry. Agricultural Research
Administration, USDA. 1945-46 (R.A.E(B) 37 : 89, 1949). Original not seen.