ALTERNATIVE LICE REMEDIES TESTED

British researchers

report that two common

essential oils---tea tree and

lavender---show promise

in treating lice that are

increasingly resistant to

commercial pesticides.

Found primarily on don-

keys and horses, Bovicola ocellatus are known as “chewing lice” because they

feed on dander rather than

drawing blood meals. For

their study, University of

Bristol researchers identified

198 barn-kept donkeys infest-

B. ocellatus. After initially quantifying

ed with

the level of each animal’s

parasite load, the research-

ers divided the donkeys into

three treatment groups: One

received two topical treat-

ments with a 5 percent tea

tree oil solution two weeks

apart; the second received

two topical lavender oil