A novel assembly pheromone trap for tick control in dog kennels

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology 2017-02, Vol.235, p.57-63
• Main Authors: Anish, R.K., Latha, Bhaskaran Ravi, Ramanathan, Giriprasath, Sivagnanam, Uma Tirichurapalli, Sreekumar, C., Leela, V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Assembly pheromone; Dog Diseases - parasitology; Dog Diseases - prevention & control; Dogs; Gold; Larva; Metal Nanoparticles - ultrastructure; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission - veterinary; Nymph; Petridish bioassay; Pheromones - pharmacology; Rhipicephalus sanguineus; Rhipicephalus sanguineus - drug effects; Rhipicephalus sanguineus - physiology; Sticky tick trap device; Tick Control - methods; Tick Infestations - parasitology; Tick Infestations - prevention & control; Tick Infestations - veterinary
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.01.005

•Nanoparticles were used for the first time to encapsulate assembly pheromone of R. sanguineus.•Gold nanoparticle as a vehicle assembly pheromone baited traps was found to be very effective.•The sticky trap device uses assembly pheromone without any acaricides.•The sticky trap device uses assembly pheromone without any acaricides.•The device is most suitable as a green technology for use in Integrated Pest Management.•The use of assembly pheromone baited traps has a good potential for use in controlling tick infestations in dog kennels. A novel ecofriendly sticky tick trap device for the control of dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus using gold nanoparticle assembly pheromone complex as a bait was developed. Assembly pheromones comprising of guanine, xanthine and adenine in the ratio of 25:1:1 was encapsulated in gold nanoparticle. The response of the different stages of unfed R. sanguineus ticks was evaluated using petridish bioassay. Statistical analysis was done using chi-square test. Petridish bioassay with unfed stages of R. sanguineus revealed that 100% of the larvae, nymph and adults were attracted to assembly pheromone nanogold complex within 24h. Of the 952 ticks trapped, ticks of different stages trapped in total by the baited sticky trap device, 543 (57%) were engorged and 409 (43%) were unfed ticks. The study revealed that assembly pheromone baited traps has the potential to control tick infestations in dog kennels.