The caecal nematode, Trichostrongylus tenuis, is associated with dramatic decreases in the density of red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) resulting in a significant loss of sporting income to many upland estates in the UK. In this article Peter Hudson and Andrew Dobson describe the dynamics of the grouse-T. tenuis system, show that the parasites can cause population crashes and present preliminary findings from the development of new control methods.