Tick control methods used by resource-limited farmers and the effect of ticks on cattle in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

A survey to document tick control methods used by resource-limited farmers in the control of cattle ticks in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa was conducted by interviewing 59 cattle farmers using structured questionnaires and general conversation. Information collected was on external paras...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tropical animal health and production 2009-04, Vol.41 (4), p.517-523
Main Authors: Moyo, B, Masika, P. J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acaricidal plants
Acaricides
Aloe ferox
Animals
Bark
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Cattle
Cattle Diseases - parasitology
Cattle Diseases - prevention & control
Disinfectants
Ectoparasites
Ethno-veterinary practices
Farmers
Insecticides - pharmacology
Ixodidae
Jeyes fluid
Life Sciences
Livestock farming
Original Paper
Plants, Medicinal
Ptaeroxylon obliquum
Rural areas
Seasons
South Africa
Tick Control - economics
Tick Control - methods
Tick Infestations - prevention & control
Tick Infestations - veterinary
Tick-Borne Diseases - prevention & control
Tick-Borne Diseases - veterinary
Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science
Zoology
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Summary:A survey to document tick control methods used by resource-limited farmers in the control of cattle ticks in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa was conducted by interviewing 59 cattle farmers using structured questionnaires and general conversation. Information collected was on external parasites of cattle, their effects and their control methods. Ticks were reported to be a major problem causing diseases like anaplasmosis (89.8%), babesiosis (55.9%) and ehrlichiosis (16.9%), as well as wounds that predispose to screwworm infestation, tick worry and teat damage to cows troubling farmers in their farming enterprises. The main tick control methods were; acaricides provided by government, however 94.9% of the farmers interviewed were of the opinion that the dip wash is not effective in killing the ticks. As a result, farmers complement the government dipping service with their own initiatives like spraying with conventional acaricides (22%), household disinfectants such as Jeyes fluid (18.6%), used engine oil (10.2%), chickens (5.1%), manual removal (5.1%), and pouricides (1.7%). In addition, some farmers also use plants (6.8%), mainly the leaf of Aloe ferox and the bark of Ptaeroxylon obliquum. The study revealed ticks to be a major problem in the study area.
ISSN:0049-4747
1573-7438
DOI:10.1007/s11250-008-9216-4