Preventing tick attachment to dogs using essential oils.

Preventing tick bites using repellents could make a valuable contribution to an integrated tick management programme for dogs. Here, the ability of a range of essential oils or active ingredients of commercially available repellents, to abolish the orientation and taxis of the tick Ixodes ricinus towards sebum extracted from dog hair was examined in laboratory bioassays. Substantial differences between oils were observed, but turmeric oil was both able to prevent a climbing response by ticks and had a longer residual activity than other oils.

Residual and ovicidal efficacy of essential oil-based formulations in vitro against the donkey chewing louse Bovicola ocellatus.

Essential oils have shown good experimental potential as novel veterinary ectoparasiticides. However, if they are to be used as veterinary products, they must be available in formulations that are suitable for practical application against specific ectoparasites. Here, the efficacies of formulations containing 5% (v/v) lavender or tea tree oil, in combination with two emulsifiers [a surfactant, 5% (w/v) N-lauroylsarcosine sodium salt (SLS), and a soluble polymer, 5% (w/v) polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)], with or without 10% coconut oil, were tested in contact bioassays against the donkey chewing louse Bovicola ocellatus (Piaget) (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae).

Essential oils in the management of the donkey louse, Bovicola ocellatus.

Reasons For Performing Study: Chewing lice are widespread and clinically compromising parasites of livestock and equids. Their management is complicated by growing levels of resistance to commonly applied insecticides. Hence, the development of novel approaches to their control is of major clinical interest.

Temperature-dependent lipid metabolism in the blow fly Lucilia sericata.

An understanding of how arthropods use energy is fundamental to explaining their diverse life histories and adaptation to specific environments. It is also of importance when attempting to predict the impacts of environmental change on patterns of development and phenology. Here, lipid use by the economically important agent of ovine myiasis, Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae), was quantified at a range of temperatures.

Seasonal infestation of donkeys by lice: phenology, risk factors and management.

A longitudinal study was undertaken over a 21 months period to examine the seasonal abundance of lice infesting donkeys, the risk factors which predispose donkeys to infestation and the effectiveness of louse management. All the lice seen were Bovicola (Werneckiella) ocellatus. A strong seasonal pattern, which was correlated with mean monthly temperature, was observed with higher prevalence and intensity in the cooler, winter months (October-March).

The use of essential oils in veterinary ectoparasite control: a review.

There is a growing body of evidence indicating the potential value of essential oils as control agents against a range of arthropod ectoparasites, particularly lice, mites and ticks. Toxicity has been demonstrated following immersion and physical contact with treated surfaces, as well as after exposure to the vapour of these oils; the last of these factors implies that there is a neurotoxic, rather than simply a mechanical, pathway in their mode of action. However, the volatile nature of essential oils suggests that their residual activity is likely to be short-lived.

Control of the chewing louse Bovicola (Werneckiella) ocellatus in donkeys, using essential oils.

Infestations by lice can be a significant clinical and welfare issue in the management of large animals. The limited range of commercial pediculicides available and the development of resistance have led to the need to explore alternative louse management approaches. The results of in vitro and in vivo trials undertaken to control populations of the donkey chewing louse, Bovicola ocellatus (Piaget) (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) using the essential oils of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) are reported here.

Pyrethroid tolerance in the chewing louse Bovicola (Werneckiella) ocellatus.

Equine pediculosis is a significant health and welfare issue, particularly in elderly and chronically debilitated animals. Currently infestation is controlled predominantly using topically applied pyrethroid insecticides, allowing limited scope for the rotation of drugs and increasing the risk of selection for resistance. Here the insecticidal efficacies of two pyrethroid-based products against the louse Bovicola (Werneckiella) ocellatus collected from donkeys were examined in vitro.

Livestock ectoparasites: integrated management in a changing climate.

The prevalence of livestock ectoparasites is the result of a complex interaction of factors such as parasite and host abundance, host susceptibility, climate and, critically, farmer husbandry and intervention strategies, all of which change seasonally in space and time. Given the complexity of the interacting factors, the effects of any climate change on disease incidence are hard to predict, as accordingly are the optimal husbandry responses required to ameliorate any effects. Here cutaneous myiasis in sheep, by the blowfly Lucilia sericata in the United Kingdom, is used to highlight the impact of a range of such issues.