> Just a question, if the bugs are referred to as 'wool mites', wouldn't that sort of hint that they can infest sheep? > > To the best of my knowledge (which isn't a whole lot), mites like blood. I don't think fiber is on their list of goodies to munch.> wrnk Not these mites. They like to chew the wool. One of the reasons why it can be hard to eradicate them with Ivermectin. The coats have to be mid cycle or sheared to really work on them. If you think about it, dust mites don't suck blood, they are scavengers that eat anything in the dust of your home. These are called wool mites, quite simply because they tend to infest angora rabbits rather than shorter haired breeds, and we breeders refer to the coats on our rabbits as wool, even though technically it is angora fiber. I know, clear as mud. I really don't know if they can infest other species, just as lice is species specific, but my Maine coon, and my domestic long haired cat, seem to have the same 'symptoms' of wool mites. So, I wonder if this type of mite couldn't infest any creature with a fine enough coat to be yummy to them, sheep included. The cat's 'symptoms' clear up with flea treatments of Frontline, just as with diligent use of Ivermect, I can mostly clear up the mites on the Angoras. Perhaps sheep don't seem to have them much because they are constantly dewormed and dipped with similar chemicals, or, as I said, the lanolin may be too much for them?
Kim Smith ~ proud owner of 10 German and German hybrid or crossbred Angoras, with more on the way! www.blessedfarm.com To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
