Control and Eradication of Chicken Lice with Lindane

Abstract

LICE are a continual source of annoyance to the poultry raiser and it is reasonably safe to say that every poultry flock, either large or small, has been troubled by these pests at some time or another (Bishopp and Wood, 1939). Economic losses may take the form of reduced flesh, reduced egg production and lower resistance to disease (Van Es and Olney, 1941). It has recently been shown (Edgar and King, 1950), that non-infested flocks averaged 11.17 percent greater egg production than flocks moderately infested with lice.There are seven species of lice found on chickens (Bishopp, 1942) but only three of them are of economic importance (Ritcher and Insko, 1948), the body louse, Eomenacanthus stramineus (Nitz.); the shaft louse, Menopon gallinae (L.); and the head louse, Cuclotogaster heterograpkus (Nitz.). The body louse and the shaft louse are serious pests of adult birds while the head louse is more injurious .