ATTITUDES OF QUEENSLAND SHEEP GRAZIERS TO SHEEP LICE (BOVICOLA-OVIS) CONTROL PRACTICES

A cross-sectional study of Queensland sheep graziers' attitudes toward s lice control conducted by postal questionnaire in February 1993. Gra ziers were uniformly concerned about the cost of sheep lice and conseq uential disruption to management. There were regional differences in l ice flock prevalence and opinions about the ability of off-shears back liners to control the parasite. In the Darling Downs region, where the flock prevalence was 80%, graziers tended to use wet dipping. By cont rast, in the western regions, Central West and South West, where the p revalence was lower (60 - 70%), most graziers still used off-shears ba ckliners. Graziers felt some embarrassment about discussing lice contr ol problems with some of their neighbours but not with pastoral house technicians or staff from the Queensland Department of Primary Industr ies.