Management of Cattle Ticks Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) in Response to the Emergence of Resistance to Synthetic Acaricides

Abstract

The tick Rhipicephalus microplus is an external parasite of livestock that is present in tropical and subtropical regions. It causes significant economic losses to cattle breeder directly through its destructive actions and indirectly by transmission of pathogens to livestock. In this study, we assessed the impact of Rhipicephalus microplus ticks on animal performance and identify control measures. Breeders were surveyed in Mono, Zou and Borgou departments with a rate of 60%, 63% and 67% of Peulhs on the total population of breeders’. The effect of ticks on milk production was influential in the department of Borgou where 65% of the breeders estimated that the decrease in milk production was linked to animal infestation by ticks against 46% and 41.10% respectively in the departments of Mono and Zou. A similar pattern was observed concerning the decrease in the live weight of the animals 63.75%, 58% and 45.21 %, respectively. In breeding farms, two types of products are adopted: traditional products and chemicals that are use against the ticks. As they are looking for efficient, accessible and less costly means, breeders use traditional products of control such as red oil, red oil mix with salt, black soap, seawater, plant, bush fire and also manual dipping. Chemical products used are essentially pyrethroids, amidine and phenylpyrazoles. The assessments of current study highlight that for most breeders ticks display negative impacts on livestock productivity and the current way to control are not efficient. It is important to put in place a better tick control strategy.