A Survey of Tick Surveillance and Control Practices in the United States.

Tickborne diseases are an increasing public health threat in the United States. Prevention and diagnosis of tickborne diseases are improved by access to current and accurate information on where medically important ticks and their associated human and veterinary pathogens are present, their local abundance or prevalence, and when ticks are actively seeking hosts. The true extent of tick and tickborne pathogen expansion is poorly defined, in part because of a lack of nationally standardized tick surveillance. We surveyed 140 vector-borne disease professionals working in state, county, and local public health and vector control agencies to assess their 1) tick surveillance program objectives, 2) pathogen testing methods, 3) tick control practices, 4) data communication strategies, and 5) barriers to program development and operation. Fewer than half of respondents reported that their jurisdiction was engaged in routine, active tick surveillance, but nearly two-thirds reported engaging in passive tick surveillance. Detection of tick presence was the most commonly stated current surveillance objective (76.2%). Most of the programs currently supporting tick pathogen testing were in the Northeast (70.8%), Upper and Central Midwest (64.3%), and the West (71.4%) regions. The most common pathogens screened for were Rickettsia spp. (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) and bacterial and viral agents transmitted by Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks. Only 12% of respondents indicated their jurisdiction directly conducts or otherwise financially supports tick control. Responses indicated that their ability to expand the capacity of tick surveillance and control programs was impeded by inconsistent funding, limited infrastructure, guidance on best practices, and institutional capacity to perform these functions.

First tick and tick damage perception survey among sedentary and transhumant pastoralists in Burkina Faso and Benin.

BACKGROUND: Transhumance, a main ancestral animal production strategy of the West African Countries (WAC), can favour the spread of vectors and vector-borne diseases within and/or across countries. Transhumance has been implicated in such spread as well as that of related tick-borne diseases (TBD). METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using a questionnaire survey and statistical modelling, this study explores the perception of herders about ticks and TBD in cattle, their practices in tick control and the social groups involved in cattle farming in eastern Burkina Faso (46 random herds) and in the northern Benin (44 random herds). Results show that most of the herders (79%) are from the Fulani social group. The principal and secondary activities of herders are respectively cattle farming and agriculture. The mean age of pastoralists is between 40 and 50 years depending on the province of origin and 60% of the surveyed herds practice internal or transboundary transhumance. Herders have a clear knowledge of different genus of ticks except the genus Rhipicephalus. Their knowledge of TBD is very limited. These results also reveal that herders in Benin use less acaricides treatment calendar compared with those in Burkina Faso. Transhumant pastoralists (i.e. transhumant cattle farmers) plan more acaricide treatment and have more cows with lost teats (i.e. tick damage) than the sedentary ones. In addition, amitraz appears to be the main acaricide compound used by herders for tick control (68%) but its use is inappropriate and its source is frequently the unregulated market. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: All of these findings can induce acaricide resistance especially as the inefficacy of amitraz against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus has already been reported in previous studies. Such results would help to elaborate suitable strategies of control and prevention of ticks and TBD in Burkina Faso and Benin.

A knowledge, attitudes, and practices study on ticks and tick-borne diseases in cattle among farmers in a selected area of eastern Bhutan.

Livestock farming plays an important role in supporting the livelihood of resource-poor subsistence farmers in Bhutan. However, ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are one of the major constraints to livestock farming due to their negative effect on health and production. To date, no study has been conducted in Bhutan to assess farmers' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) about ticks and TBDs in cattle, although such information is essential in ensuring the development and adoption of effective prevention and control measures. Therefore, a KAP survey was conducted among 246 cattle owners in the Samkhar sub-district of eastern Bhutan in June 2019, using a structured questionnaire. Based on our scoring criteria, 52% [95%CI: 45.5-58.4] had adequate knowledge about ticks as potential vectors of diseases. Logistic regression analysis showed that the individuals who practiced a stall-feeding system of cattle rearing were 2.8 times [OR = 2.8 (95%CI: 1.66-4.78)] more likely to have adequate knowledge than others. Sixty-eight percent [95%CI: 62.5-74.4] had a favorable attitude toward tick prevention and control programs. Men were 1.95 times [OR = 1.95 (95%CI: 1.09-3.55)] more likely to have a favorable attitude than women, and the individuals who practiced a stall-feeding system were 2.59 times [OR = 2.59 95%CI: 1.45-4.78)] more likely to have a favorable attitude than others, after adjusting for the effect of other variables in the model. Overall, only 38% [95%CI 32.5-45] of the respondents reported tick infestation as one of the most important animal health problems, but 100% reported using acaricides to control ticks in cattle. Despite a high level of acaricide usage, the level of knowledge was low among the farmers interviewed. Findings from this study underline the importance of considering identified knowledge gaps and initiating education efforts to improve the adoption of effective tick prevention and control measures among farmers.

Control of ixodid ticks and prevention of tick-borne diseases in the United States: The prospect of a new Lyme disease vaccine and the continuing problem with tick exposure on residential properties.

In the United States, exposure to human-biting ixodid ticks can occur while spending time on residential properties or in neighborhood green spaces as well as during recreational or occupational activities on public lands. Human-biting tick species collectively transmit >15 species of pathogenic microorganisms and the national burden of tick-borne diseases is increasing. The prospect of a new Lyme disease vaccine for use in humans provides hope for substantial reduction in the >450,000 estimated annual cases of Lyme disease but this breakthrough would not reduce cases of other tick-borne diseases, such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, spotted fever group rickettsiosis, and Powassan encephalitis. One intriguing question is to what extent a new Lyme disease vaccine would impact the use of personal protection measures acting broadly against tick-bites. The main tick vector for Lyme disease spirochetes in the eastern United States, Ixodes scapularis, also transmits causative agents of anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan encephalitis; and this tick species co-occurs with other human-biting vectors such as Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis. It therefore is important that a new Lyme disease vaccine does not result in reduced use of tick-bite prevention measures, such as tick repellents, permethrin-treated clothing, and frequent tick checks. Another key issue is the continuing problem with tick exposure on residential properties, which represents a heavily used outdoor environment the residents cannot reasonably avoid and where they tend to spend large amounts of time outside. As it may not be realistic to keep up daily vigilance with personal protective measures against tick-bites on residential properties during many months of every year, homeowners may also consider the option to suppress host-seeking ticks by means of deer fencing, landscaping, vegetation management, and use of products to kill host-seeking ticks or ticks infesting rodents. When considering the full range of options for actions that can be taken to suppress host-seeking ticks on residential properties, it is clear that individual homeowners face a difficult and bewildering task in deciding what to do based on very general guidance from public health agencies (developed without the benefit of a strong evidence base) and often without ready access to local public health professionals experienced in tick control. This situation is not satisfactory but cannot be corrected without first addressing knowledge gaps regarding the impact of peridomestic tick control measures on host-seeking ticks, human tick-bites, and tick-borne diseases. In parallel with this effort, there also is a need to increase the local public health workforce with knowledge of and experience with tick control to provide better access for homeowners to sound and objective advice regarding tick control on their properties based on key characteristics of the landscaping, habitat composition, and use patterns by wild animal tick hosts as well as the residents.

Communal cattle farmer's knowledge, attitudes and practices on ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), tick control and acaricide resistance.

The aim of this study was to reveal communal farmer's knowledge, attitudes and practice on ticks and tick-borne diseases affecting cattle, tick control methods used and their knowledge on acaricide resistance. A total of 160 structured questionnaires are prepared and randomly administered to cattle farmers in Sinqu and Elundini communities in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Associations between the area, gender, age, employment, source of income, level of education and farming experience were statistically tested using Chi-square test. Gall sickness (63%) was the most prevailing tick-borne disease in cattle during the summer season (61%). About 59% of the farmers had no knowledge of the effect of tick-borne diseases on cattle production, and 78% of respondents reported that ticks are the major challenge to cattle farming. Pour-on (61%) was the most commonly used acaricidal treatment system with every fortnight (40%) treatment frequency during the summer season and (31%) during the winter season. Pyrethroids (73%) were the most used acaricide compounds to control ticks, and about 65% of respondents perceived to have no knowledge of the use of ethnoveterinary medicines used to control ticks. Inefficacy of acaricide (44%) and undipped animals (42%) were regarded as the major contributing factors to the increased tick population and acaricide resistance. About 85% of respondents perceived that they do not practice acaricide rotation and 88% of the respondents had no knowledge of the acaricide resistance. Within the context of this study, ticks and tick-associated diseases are perceived by these farmers as the most important disease problem their cattle face. Thus, knowledge regarding the epidemiology of ticks and tick-borne diseases is key to control strategies, and farmer training should be encouraged to achieve better control of ticks and the diseases they transmit.

Has COVID-19 influenced on tick-borne epidemiology?

no abstract available.

Availability and Nature of Commercial Tick Control Services in Three Lyme Disease Endemic States.

In an update of earlier surveys conducted in Connecticut and New Jersey in the mid-1990s, an online survey of private commercial pest control firms engaged in residential tick control showed that the application of synthetic acaricides continues to be the primary method of control used. The carbamate and organophospate acaricides, previously the most commonly used against ticks, have given way to synthetic pyrethroids and, to a lesser extent, the use of natural product/organic acaricides. Typical costs for a single acaricide application today ($100-$200 for a 1 acre [0.4 ha] property) remain similar to those reported from the earlier surveys, although the frequency of applications and, therefore, also the overall annual cost has increased. The application habitats within residential properties, life stages targeted, and application equipment used have not changed appreciably since the mid-1990s. While most survey respondents expressed knowledge of natural product acaricides and Damminix Tick Tubes, many reported that they either did not employ or knew very little about other alternative tick control methods (including entomopathogenic fungus and topical application of acaricides to tick hosts via 4-Poster deer treatment stations or Select TCS rodent bait boxes). This suggests either a failure to adequately inform the pest management industry and their potential client base of the availability of alternate methods, and/or industry concerns about cost and effectiveness of the alternatives.

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding tick-borne disease prevention in endemic areas.

As part of a TickNET collaboration we evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to tick-borne disease (TBD) prevention among persons living in endemic areas of Connecticut (CT) and Maryland (MD). Up-to-date information on the use of various prevention methods, as well as attitudes toward available and potential prevention options, is critical for effective promotion of recommended behaviors. During 2016-2017, printed invitations were mailed via the post office to 27,029 households requesting participation in an online survey regarding knowledge of TBD, risk perceptions, and prevention behaviors. Prevention behaviors included tick checks, showering/bathing, insect repellents, pet tick control, and chemical or natural pesticide use on residential properties. Associations of sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge and attitude variables with prevention behaviors were assessed in unadjusted analyses and multivariable models to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR). Participants were also asked if they would be willing to get a Lyme disease (LD) vaccine, if one becomes available. Overall, 1883 (7%) persons completed the survey. Participants reported using preventive behaviors most of the time or always as follows: pet tick control (83%), tick checks (58%), showering/bathing (42%), insect repellent (31%), and chemical (23%) or natural (15%) pesticides on property. Self-rated knowledge of LD, perceived prevalence of LD, perceived severity of LD, and perceived likelihood of contracting LD or another TBD were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with performing a tick check [aOR 2.5, aOR 1.71, aOR 1.36, aOR 1.83, respectively]. Female gender and perceived prevalence of LD were significantly associated with applying insect repellent [aOR 1.56, aOR 1.64, respectively]. Perceived prevalence of LD was significantly associated with showering or bathing, insect repellents, and pet tick control [aOR 1.42, aOR 1.64, aOR 1.92, respectively]. Income > $100,000 was significantly associated with applying a chemical or natural pesticide to one's property [aOR 1.29, aOR 1.40, respectively]. A majority of respondents (84%) reported that they were very likely or somewhat likely to get a LD vaccine if one were available. Few behaviors (tick checks and pet tick control) were reported to be practiced by more than half of the respondents living in LD endemic areas. Perceived prevalence of LD was the only factor associated with performing most of the prevention behaviors (tick checks, showering/bathing, use of insect repellents, and pet tick control). Use of chemical or natural pesticides appears to be driven by income. Greater efforts are needed to encourage use of prevention behaviors in endemic areas, and this may be facilitated by increasing awareness of local prevalence.

Rhipicephalus microplus, babesiosis and anaplasmosis in Uruguay: current situation and control or elimination programs on farms.

Rhipicephalus microplus causes high economic losses for Uruguay; the country is divided into a R. microplus-free area and an endemic area. The aim of this research was to evaluate the R. microplus and tick fever situation in Uruguay and the feasibility of implementing R. microplus control or elimination programs to reduce the number of infested farms. A representative survey was performed to determine the number of infested farms, the number of farms with outbreaks of tick fever and the control and preventive measures being used. Control or elimination programs using generational treatment were implemented on 30 farms. Previously, a situation diagnosis was performed by evaluating the background of each farm, identifying acaricide resistance, serologically evaluating the enzootic stability of tick fever, and analyzing the risk of R. microplus introduction to farms. According to the survey, R. microplus was present on 9544 (36%) farms, and 3436 (36%) of these farms experienced outbreaks of tick fever. Only 323 (9.4%) farmers used the tick fever vaccine. Of the 30 farms for which control or elimination programs were carried out, 18 reduced the number of treatments applied per year and six achieved the elimination of the cattle tick. It is concluded that by administering elimination or control programs, it is possible to reduce the number of infested farms and the number of treatments to maintain control. New surveys should be performed to measure the degree of technology adoption by farmers and to analyze the advances in tick control or elimination programs on farms.

Evidence for Clinical Anaplasmosis and Borreliosis in Cats in Maine.

The objectives of this study were to use data from client-owned cats in an Ixodes scapularis endemic area to evaluate for clinical associations with diagnostic test results for Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi and to provide information from a group of cats with possible borreliosis as the cause of clinical manifestations of disease. All cases were evaluated at one clinic, medical records were evaluated, and sera from all cats were tested using one of two commercially available assays labeled for the use with dog sera (SNAP 4Dx or SNAP 4Dx Plus; IDEXX Laboratories, Westbrook, ME). Of the 159 cats evaluated, 42 cats (26.4%) had clinical signs consistent with A. phagocytophilum or B. burgdorferi infection and 117 cats (73.6%) were apparently healthy. Antibodies against B. burgdorferi or A. phagocytophilum were detected in sera of 18.2% and 6.3% of the 159 cats, respectively. Cats with clinical signs of disease were 4 times more likely to have antibodies against one or both agents than healthy cats (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7928-8.9246; P = .0007), cats allowed outdoors were 5 times more likely to have antibodies against one or both agents than cats housed exclusively indoors (95% CI 2.0196-12.4497; P = .0005), and cats of owners who purchased acaricides were more likely (odds ratio = .3977) to have antibodies against one or both agents than cats of owners who did not purchase acaricides (95% CI .1659-.9534; P = .0387). The cats in the case series were believed to have B. burgdorferi infection as the most likely cause of illness based on serological testing, select clinical information, and apparent response to administration of doxycycline. The results suggest that both A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi are associated with clinical illness in cats. Owners of cats allowed outdoors should be diligent in the use of acaricides.

Chemical tick control practices in southwestern and northwestern Uganda.

Tick acaricide failure is one of the leading challenges to cattle production in Uganda. To gain an understanding into the possible drivers of acaricide failure, this study characterized the current chemical tick control practices in the southwestern (Mbarara, Mitooma and Rukungiri districts) and northwestern (Adjumani district) regions of Uganda. A total of 85 farms participated in a survey that utilized a semi-structured questionnaire. Moreover, ticks were collected to determine the most common species on the farms. Tick acaricide failure was mainly encountered in the districts where 95% (60/63) of the farms reared exotic cattle (dairy cross-breeds) under a paddocking (fenced) system. In the northwestern region, local cattle were reared in communal grazing areas. All farms used chemical acaricides for tick control, predominantly amidine (amitraz) (48%, 41/85) and co-formulated organophosphates and pyrethroids (38%, 32/85). The spraying method was the most common (91%, 77/85) acaricide application technique, with cattle crush (81%, 69/85) as a common means of physical restraint. Less than optimal tick control practices encountered included use of substandard equipment for spraying, inappropriate dilutions, frequent interaction between animals in neighboring farms despite lack of synchronized chemical tick control and malpractices in acaricide rotation. Only Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and R. (Boophilus) decoloratus ticks were found in the southwestern region, where 51% (32/63) of the farmers used high acaricide concentrations above the manufacturers' recommendation. Farmers in the northwestern region used 2.2 times less acaricide volume per cattle than those in the southwestern region, and more diverse tick species were encountered. Toxic effects of acaricide to cattle and workers were reported by 13% (11/85) and 32% (27/85) of the respondents, respectively. All 27 cases of human acaricide toxicity reported were from the southwestern region. Overall, our findings may inform strategies for more prudent chemical tick control and safe acaricide handling to benefit animal welfare, food safety and public health.

The effects of acaricide treatment of sheep on red grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica tick burdens and productivity in a multi-host system.

Ixodes ricinus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) ticks are of economic and pathogenic importance across Europe. Within the uplands of the U.K., management to reduce ticks is undertaken to benefit red grouse Lagopus lagopus scotica (Galliformes: Phasianidae). Management strategies focus on the acaricide treatment of domestic sheep Ovis aries (Artiodactyla: Bovidae), but the effectiveness of this is less certain in the presence of wild hosts, particularly red deer Cervus elaphus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae) and mountain hare Lepus timidus (Lagomorpha: Leporidae). This study examines the effects of sheep management on grouse tick burdens and productivity using sites with a range of wild host densities. Sites at which applications of acaricide were more frequent had lower tick burdens; this relationship was similar on sites with a range of deer densities. However, no direct link was detected between acaricide treatment interval and grouse productivity. Sites with higher deer densities had higher grouse tick burdens and lower productivity [mean ± standard error (SE) young : adult ratio: 1.2 ± 0.2] compared with sites with lower deer densities (mean ± SE young : adult ratio: 1.8 ± 0.1). Sites with higher grouse brood sizes and higher proportions of hens with broods were also those with higher mountain hare abundance indices. This study highlights the importance of the frequent treatment of sheep with acaricide to reduce tick burdens on grouse, even in the presence of wild hosts.

Enfermedades transmitidas por garrapatas / Tick borne diseases

Las enfermedades transmitidas por garrapatas son enfermedades infecciosas transmitidas por la mordedura de garrapata parasitada por agentes infecciosos. Las garrapatas son los segundos vectores más importantes de transmisión de enfermedades infecciosas al ser humano tras los mosquitos. En áreas donde existen garrapatas es importante conocer cómo prevenir y detectar sus ataques. A medida que la incidencia de estas enfermedades aumenta, se convierte en más importante distinguir las distintas presentaciones clínicas de estos procesos por parte de los profesionales sanitarios. En Castilla y León la especie de garrapata más frecuente es Ixodes ricinus, vector de la enfermedad de Lyme, pero son las rickettsias los patógenos que con mayor frecuencia parasitan a las garrapatas

Tick borne diseases are infectious diseases transmitted by the bites of infected ticks. Ticks are second only to mosquitoes for transmitting diseases to human. In areas where ticks are present it is important to know how to prevent and check for tick bites. As the incidence of tick borne illnesses is rising, it becomes increasingly important that health professionals are able to distinguish the diverse clinical presentations of these diseases. In Castilla y León the most common tick is Ixodes ricinus which is in relation with Lyme disease but rickettsia’s are the primary pathogen that parasite ticks

[The ecology of ticks, tick-borne diseases and biological tick control in Baden-Württemberg]. / Ökologie von Zecken als Überträger von Krankheitserregern in Baden-Württemberg und biologische Zeckenbekämpfung.

Ticks and tick-borne diseases are of great significance for the health of humans and animals. However, the factors influencing their distribution and dynamics are inadequately known. In a project financed by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy Industry, as part of the program BWPLUS, interdisciplinary specialists work together to determine the influence of weather, (micro)climate, habitat, land use, human activities, and the population dynamics of host animals on the distribution and abundance of ticks and the diseases that they transmit in Baden-Württemberg. The project comprises four modules: the large-scale distribution of ticks in Baden-Württemberg (module 1), detailed studies of host-tick-pathogen interaction in relation to the microclimate (module 2), and the spatial occurrence of important tick-borne pathogens (module 3). The fourth module involves the comprehensive analysis and synthesis of all data in order to determine the relative importance of the factors studied and to develop a risk model. Recently, intensive investigations into tick control have been undertaken using various entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes as well as a parasitoid wasp. Our aim was to determine whether these natural enemies could be used to effectively reduce the number of free-living ticks.

A bovine babesiosis model with dispersion.

Bovine Babesiosis (BB) is a tick borne parasitic disease with worldwide over 1.3 billion bovines at potential risk of being infected. The disease, also called tick fever, causes significant mortality from infection by the protozoa upon exposure to infected ticks. An important factor in the spread of the disease is the dispersion or migration of cattle as well as ticks. In this paper, we study the effect of this factor. We introduce a number, [Formula: see text], a "proliferation index," which plays the same role as the basic reproduction number [Formula: see text] with respect to the stability/instability of the disease-free equilibrium, and observe that [Formula: see text] decreases as the dispersion coefficients increase. We prove, mathematically, that if [Formula: see text] then the tick fever will remain endemic. We also consider the case where the birth rate of ticks undergoes seasonal oscillations. Based on data from Colombia, South Africa, and Brazil, we use the model to determine the effectiveness of several intervention schemes to control the progression of BB.

Tick control practices in Burkina Faso and acaricide resistance survey in Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) geigyi (Acari: Ixodidae).

Traditional systems account for 95 % of the livestock produced in Burkina Faso. Tick infestation hampers livestock productivity in this area. However, little information exists on tick-control practices used by livestock farmers. We interviewed 60 stockbreeders working in traditional farming systems to obtain the first data on tick-control practices. Sixteen farmers (27 %) did not use conventional practices: seven removed ticks by hand or plastered cattle with dung or engine oil; nine farmers treated cattle with crop pesticides. Forty-four farmers (73 %) used mainly synthetic pyrethroids (SP; either alphacypermethrin or deltamethrin in 20 and 18 farms, respectively) and occasionally amitraz (N = 6). Intervals between treatments varied significantly depending on the chemical used: most farmers using crop pesticides (100 %), amitraz (100 %) or alphacypermethrin (80 %) adjusted tick-control to tick-burden, whereas farmers using deltamethrin tended more to follow a tick-control schedule. Perception of tick-control effectiveness significantly varied among practices: tick-control failures were more frequently reported by farmers using alphacypermethrin (55 %) than by those using either other conventional acaricides (17 %) or crop pesticides (0 %). We investigated whether this could indicate actual development of SP-resistance in cattle ticks. First, using the larval packet test technique, we confirmed that the computation of LC50 and LC90 was repeatable and remained stable across generations of the Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) geigyi Houndé laboratory strain. We then collected from the field fully-engorged female R. geigyi to evaluate the SP-resistance relative to the Houndé reference strain. We did not detect any case of SP-resistance in the field-derived R. geigyi ticks.

Acaricidal treatment of white-tailed deer to control Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in a New York Lyme disease-endemic community.

The efficacy of topically treating white-tailed deer with an acaricide was evaluated in a Lyme disease-endemic community of southern New York State. Twenty-four 4-Poster feeders were placed in a 5.2 km(2) treatment area in Bedford, NY, while a site in Lewisboro, NY, 4.8 km distant, served as control. Treatment periods ran from 15 September to 15 December each fall from 1997 to 2001, and from 15 March to 15 May each spring from 1998 to 2002. Corn consumption averaged 15,779 kg in fall sessions and 9054 kg in spring sessions, and a mean of 89.6% of deer in the study area showed evidence of using the feeders. Deer densities, estimated by aerial snow counts, averaged 22 and 28 deer per km(2) in Bedford and Lewisboro, respectively, over a 3-year period. Significant reductions in tick numbers on deer captured in the treatment area were noted in fall 1999 compared to deer captured at the control site. Drag sampling for nymphal host-seeking ticks indicated 63.6% control in 2001, which dropped to 54.8% the following year, but reached 80% in 2003. Higher-than-normal acorn production in 2001 that likely caused a drop in deer visitation to the feeders may have reduced efficacy against larval ticks in 2002. The 4-Poster effectively reduced the density of Ixodes scapularis, though the level of control is dependent on environmental factors that affect feeding behavior of white-tailed deer.

Effectiveness of the 4-Poster passive topical treatment device in the control of Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) in New Jersey.

Twenty-five "4-Poster" feeders were placed throughout a 5.2 km(2) study area within a secured military facility situated in a hyperendemic area for Lyme disease in central Monmouth County, New Jersey. Calculated levels of control, relative to untreated areas, peaked at 82.7%, 77.3%, and 94.2% for of host-seeking Ixodes scapularis Say larvae, nymphs, and adults, respectively, within 5 years of deployment. Control of host-seeking Amblyomma americanum (L.) peaked at 99.2%, 89.5%, and 96.9% for larvae, nymphs, and adults, respectively, during the treatment period. Tick burdens on hunter-killed deer were significantly reduced on deer harvested from the treatment area and on deer that had consumed bait corn. Populations of subadult I. scapularis and A. americanum demonstrated some rebound effect following the removal of 4-Posters, but treatment area tick populations remained lower than control area populations 2 years following withdrawal of the 4-Posters. However, control of I. scapularis adults declined to 20.7% by the third fall activity period following removal of the 4-Posters. The posttreatment phase of the study was of insufficient duration to evaluate continued population rebound of adults and subadults during subsequent activity periods.

Evaluating a deer-targeted acaricide applicator for area-wide suppression of blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), in Rhode Island.

Over a 5-year period, September 1997 through May 2002, as many as 25 U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service "4-Poster" acaricide applicators were distributed in areas of high deer activity throughout a 518-hectare area in a rural Rhode Island community. Corn consumption and acaricide levels for each device were monitored weekly during each treatment season to assess the degree of deer use. The efficacy of acaricide treatment was determined by comparing relative blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) densities in the 4-Poster treatment site to a separate, similar-sized nontreatment area. The tendency of white-tailed deer to use the 4-Poster was variable temporally, and appeared to be largely dependent on the availability of alternative food sources. Total corn consumption was nearly fourfold lower during large oak masting years when compared with no/low mast years. Moreover, habitat characteristics, such as the presence of maintained hay lands consisting of alfalfa and clover, also appeared to influence the frequency and amount of 4-Poster use. After 2 years of adequate treatment (nearly 12,000 kg of corn consumed), we achieved nearly 50% control of nymphal blacklegged ticks within the treatment site compared with tick abundance levels in the nontreated area. Moreover, that level of tick control was maintained for 1 year after removal of the 4-Poster devices but began to wane 2 years after treatment ended.

The impact of 4-Poster deer self-treatment devices at three locations in Maryland.

From 1998-2002 twenty-five deer self-treatment devices (4-Posters), using 2% amitraz, were operated at three locations in Maryland to determine their effectiveness in controlling blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say, and lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.). Each treatment site was approximately 518 ha and paired with a similar site lacking 4-Posters. Locations varied in deer density, tick abundance, and land use. Flagging for host-seeking ticks showed declines in tick populations at all treatment sites compared to control sites by the third year. By 2002, control of I. scapularis nymphs attributable to the 4-Poster intervention at the three sites was 69.0%, 75.8%, and 80%. Control of A. americanum nymphs at the two sites where they occurred was 99.5% and 95.3%. In 2003, the first posttreatment year, control of I. scapularis remained around 2001-2002 levels, but by 2004, an upward trend in nymphal numbers was detectable. Populations of A. americanum showed no increase posttreatment. These results demonstrate that control of these tick species is locally possible with 4-Poster intervention.