Abstract
BackgroundThe high competence of D. reticulatus in transmission of tick-borne pathogens prompts investigations of the effect of chemicals used as repellents and acaricides on the behaviour of the tick on the host. Therefore, this paper presents the effect of permethrin and deltamethrin on the attachment and feeding in this tick species.FindingsAttachment to rabbit skin of D. reticulatus females sprayed with pyrethroids and the effect of different doses thereof on feeding were assessed at a temperature of 20 ± 3 °C and 50 % humidity.The dynamics of attachment of D. reticulatus females varied in a dose-dependent manner after the application of both pyrethroids. Within the first 0.5 h of the experiments, there was an over six-fold and over twelve-fold increase in the number of females attached to host skin after application of permethrin concentrations of 0.3906–0.7812 μg and 1.5625–3.1250 μg/1 specimen, respectively. In the case of deltamethrin, females treated with the dose of 0.0390 μg of the compound were able to attach to host skin only 4 hours after the infestation.The toxic activity of both pyrethroids increased the duration of the feeding period and decreased the body weight of engorged females and the feeding efficiency index.ConclusionsThe accelerated attachment of D. reticulatus females caused by sublethal permethrin doses and delayed or inhibited attachment caused by deltamethrin suggest a necessity of careful selection of the type and dose of pyrethroids to protect hosts from tick attacks.
Highlights
The high competence of D. reticulatus in transmission of tick-borne pathogens prompts investigations of the effect of chemicals used as repellents and acaricides on the behaviour of the tick on the host
The accelerated attachment of D. reticulatus females caused by sublethal permethrin doses and delayed or inhibited attachment caused by deltamethrin suggest a necessity of careful selection of the type and dose of pyrethroids to protect hosts from tick attacks
Permethrin and deltamethrin applied at sublethal doses altered the host-feeding behaviour of D. reticulatus ticks
Summary
The high competence of D. reticulatus in transmission of tick-borne pathogens prompts investigations of the effect of chemicals used as repellents and acaricides on the behaviour of the tick on the host. This paper presents the effect of permethrin and deltamethrin on the attachment and feeding in this tick species. The most effective method for reduction of the threat posed by ticks to human [1] and animal health is to use repellents and acaricides. This paper describes for the first time the effect of sublethal doses of permethrin and deltamethrin on the attachment and feeding behaviour of females of the meadow tick Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius), a common species in large areas of the Palearctic
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
