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How to identify it
- Lice are wingless and flattened, and the young nymphs look like small adults. Infested goats usually have a dull, matted coat and scratch, rub and groom far more than normal.[1][2]
- Biting, or chewing, lice live on the skin surface and feed on bits of hair, scabs and skin debris. Oklahoma State lists three on goats: the goat biting louse (Bovicola caprae), the Angora goat biting louse (B. crassipes) and B. limbata.[1][2]
- Sucking lice pierce the skin and feed on blood. The goat sucking louse (Linognathus stenopsis) spreads over the whole body and the African goat louse (L. africanus) stays mostly on the head, neck and body; both look bluish gray. The sheep foot louse (L. pedalis) occasionally turns up on the feet and legs of goats.[1]
Look-alikes
Where it lives
Goat biting lice occur worldwide. Among the sucking lice, UF/IFAS describes the African blue louse from semi-tropical climates, including parts of the United States.[1][2]
Biology and life cycle
Lice spend their whole lives on the host and develop gradually: eggs hatch into nymphs that look like small adults. Biting louse eggs hatch in 9 to 12 days, and the full life cycle averages about a month.[1][2]
They are host specific, attacking only goats and close relatives such as sheep, and they pass between animals by contact. Lice usually reach a herd on newly bought animals, and some ride from place to place on flies.[1][2]
Populations start rising in fall and peak in late winter and early spring; summer numbers are usually too low to cause symptoms, though high populations have been seen year-round in Florida. Stressed animals carry more lice.[2][1]
UF/IFAS notes that the foot louse, found on the feet and legs of goats and sheep, peaks in spring and can then spread to the belly. Infestations of the scrotum are common on bucks, lambs tend to carry the most, and its eggs take longer to hatch than those of other species.[2]
Damage and signs
- Constant itching makes goats rub and scratch until the skin is raw or the hair falls out. Animals may lose weight from nervousness and poor nutrition, become listless, and give up to about 25 percent less milk.[1][2]
- Sucking lice do the most harm. Heavy feeding causes scabby, bleeding areas that can become infected, severe infestations can cause anemia, and UF/IFAS reports that heavy populations of the African blue louse have killed animals.[1][2]
- On Angora goats, lice can cut the value of the mohair by 10 to 25 percent.[1]
Health risk
Goat lice are host specific: Oklahoma State and UF/IFAS say they attack only goats and their close relatives, such as sheep. The risks are to the animals, from irritation and blood loss.[1][2]
Control
Prevention
Keep new animals away from the herd for at least two weeks, and treat or quarantine any infested animal until it is free of lice.[1]
Good care helps. Oklahoma State notes that a high-energy diet can be an effective louse control strategy and recommends keeping animals uncrowded.[1]
Pesticides
Treat with an approved product when animals scratch and rub excessively; Oklahoma State says insecticides are usually best applied in late fall. Treatments do not kill louse eggs, so repeat the treatment 10 days to 2 weeks later, after the eggs have hatched. Residual sprays applied to the animal give the best control of biting lice.[1][2]
For foot lice, whose eggs hatch more slowly, UF/IFAS advises retreating after 3 weeks for most insecticides.[2]
Common questions
- Why are my goats scratching and rubbing so much in winter?
- One cause is lice. Their numbers build from fall to a peak in late winter and early spring, and the irritation makes goats rub and scratch until the skin is raw or the hair falls out.[2][1]
- Can goat lice spread to sheep?
- Some can. Goat lice attack goats and close relatives such as sheep; UF/IFAS notes the goat sucking louse is also found on sheep, and the foot louse infests the feet and legs of both.[1][2]
- Why do goats need two lice treatments?
- Treatments don't kill louse eggs. Most eggs hatch 8 to 12 days after an application, so a second treatment about two weeks later catches the newly hatched lice.[2][1]
Sources
- Oklahoma State University Extension, “External Parasites of Goats, EPP-7019 (revised June 2015).” pods.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/EPP-7019pod2015.pdf (accessed 2026-11-08)
- University of Florida IFAS Extension, “External Parasites of Sheep and Goats, ENY-273 (P. E. Kaufman, P. G. Koehler and J. F. Butler; revised March 2006; archival copy).” journals.flvc.org/edis/article/download/115718/113947/165982 (accessed 2026-11-08)
- iNaturalist, “Bovicola caprae taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/330684 (accessed 2026-11-08)