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Updated: Oct 20, 2026

A Simple Approach to Manipulate Dissolved Oxygen for Animal Behavior Observations
Published on: June 28, 2016
Head louse control by suffocation due to blocking their oxygen uptake
Saleh Al-Quraishy1, Fathy Abdel-Ghaffar, Heinz Mehlhorn
1Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract:
The present study shows that head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are killed by suffocation when submersed into the anti-louse shampoo Licener®, which contains a mild shampoo component and an extract of neem seeds after their oil components had been pressed off. It is shown that the inner tracheal system becomes completely filled by the very fluid product. Within 3-10 min, oxygen uptake is prohibited and death of all thus treated lice stages occurred.
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