A comparison of traditional scrapings vs. a vacuum cleaner method of collecting cattle ectoparasites determined the vacuum method to be as efficient as the scraping method for collecting Psoroptes ovis, and possibly as effective for collecting Bovicola bovis.
In a survey of cattle ectoparasites in southeast Georgia, using the vacuum method, B. bovis were collected from cattle in a sales barn with an average of 15% parasitism from January 21 to March 18, 1985. Private herds sampled by the vacuum method, showed no ectoparasites. Cattle grubs (Hypoderma lineatum) were found on cattle in a sales barn from January to early March, 1985, while 4 private herds were virtually grub-free. One private herd of 16 calves was examined regularly for grubs from November, 1984 through March, 1985 with a peak of 73% parasitized and an average of 14 grubs per parasitized animal. The cattle grub season for southeast Georgia seems to begin by November and end around mid-March.
Sixteen Hereford heifers, divided into 2 groups (5 stanchioned and 11 unstanchioned) were infested 3 times with P. ovis over 5 weeks, December, 1984 through January 2, 1985. All unstanchioned claves showed no clinical signs of P. ovis5 weeks after the last innoculation with mites. All 5 stanchioned calves developed psoroptic mange. Considerable variation in the progression of the disease was noted. When stanchioned calves with psoroptic mange were released and allowed to self groom, lesions were rapidly removed, indicating self grooming is a natural host control of P. ovis
