Can Lavender, Tea Tree Oils Treat Chewing Lice in Donkeys?

Tea tree and lavender essential oils appear to be valuable aids in managing lice infestations, researchers found.
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It seems that equine internal parasites aren’t the only ones becoming resistant to the products commonly used to treat them: The donkey chewing louse (Bovicola ocellatus) is developing resistance against pyrethroids, a common class of insecticide used against lice. The search for new lice treatments is on, and researchers from the United Kingdom believe that simple essential oil solutions could be one answer.

Bovicola equi, the species of chewing louse found on horses, is very similar in appearance and behavior to the donkey chewing louse, B. ocellatus; in fact, the donkey chewing louse has not been thoroughly characterized and may be the same species,” explained Lauren Ellse, BSc, PhD, a research assistant at the University of Bristol, in England.

Ellse said chewing lice measure less than 2 mm in length, have a rounded head, and are light brown. These parasites can be found throughout the horse or donkey’s coat, where they feed on the sebum secretions at the base of the hair, she said.

“Chewing lice in equines are found worldwide and are often found in much higher numbers than sucking lice, which feed on the host’s blood,” she said. “They are often found in high numbers in animals which are already suffering from other illnesses, and they significantly compromise animal welfare. Therefore, controlling them is very important. However, growing levels of insecticide resistance in ectoparasites has made many conventional insecticides ineffective, and so alternative control measures are required

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Freelance journalist Natalie DeFee Mendik is a multiple American Horse Publications editorial and graphics awards winner specializing in equestrian media. She holds an MA in English from Colorado State University and an International Federation of Journalists’ International press card, and is a member of the International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists. With over three decades of horse experience, Natalie’s main equine interests are dressage and vaulting. Having lived and ridden in England, Switzerland, and various parts of the United States, Natalie currently resides in Colorado with her husband and two girls.

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