Management of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases

Abstract

Ticks cause substantial problems, both as nuisance pests and as vectors of human disease. They are also responsible for enormous economic losses resulting from decreased vigor in infested farm animals and transmission of diseases to domestic and agricultural animals. As such, a great deal of effort has been devoted to controlling ticks, and a great variety of techniques are currently available. Traditionally, most effort has focused on ways to kill ticks or to avoid tick attachment to humans and cattle, with relatively little effort devoted to integrated pest management (IPM) as applied to tick control. This chapter first reviews tick control techniques, including both traditional and novel approaches. Then, it examines the decision-making process in tick management, both in the traditional agricultural setting and in the context of prevention of human disease. The chapter fosters a debate about the goals and principles of tick and tick-borne disease management that will result in a more robust, efficient, theory-driven, science-based practice of IPM for tick control. Further development of novel tick control measures and increased efficiency in their integration and application to achieve desired goals hold great promise for effective future management of ticks and tick-borne diseases.