Can Nematodes Naturally Curb the Spread of Cattle Fever Ticks?
ARS researchers are working on innovative ways to control cattle fever ticks and bovine babesiosis, a malaria-like disease caused by protozoan parasites that infect bovine red blood cells and are transmitted by cattle fever ticks. While bovine babesiosis has been eradicated in the United States, it remains a major issue in Mexico, raising concerns about its potential reappearance. ARS research is showing entomopathogenic nematodes, roundworms that naturally invade and kill insects and ticks, may be an innovative and natural way to control the spread of cattle fever ticks.
ARS researchers in Edinburg, TX, and Poplarville, MI, have evaluated the efficacy of an entomopathogenic nematode native to South Texas, (Steinernema riobrave), for controlling larval cattle fever ticks. Scientists found that in a semi-field setting, weekly applications of in vitro-reared S. riobrave (BASF-Nemasys-R) sprayed on cattle fever tick-infested potted buffelgrass resulted in significantly fewer larval ticks being recovered than from tick-infested pots of buffelgrass treated with water only -- or from infested pots receiving no treatment. Use of a native nematode species like S. riobrave, which have little impact on native plants and animals, could be an environmentally friendly option for managing and eradicating cattle fever ticks, especially in areas inhabited by threatened or endangered species.
