As the weather gets colder, sucking and chewing lice begin infesting cattle in Tennessee. If you've had an effective fly-control program, lice problems usually appear later than normal. Also if you gave your cattle a grub treatment in September of October, lice may not be a problem until January or later. Lice cause cattle a lot of pain and misery. Blood loss can even cause anemia.
Weakened cattle are more likely to get diseases.
Your cattle's discomfort can affect you another way. Infested cattle damage fences and mineral boxes when they rub against them trying to relieve the intense irritation. Heavily infested animals rub hair off large areas. The remaining hair coat is us ually rough and matted. You can control lice only if you get the insecticide to them.