This year’s mild winter temperatures and ongoing wet conditions has created the ideal environment for an increase of cattle tick numbers in parts of northern Australia.
With Cattle Tick (Rhipicephalus microplus) regarded as the most economically important parasite to the Australian cattle industry according to a Meat & Livestock Australia report, there is justified concern for cattle producers in these affected areas.
Heavy cattle tick infestations can cause significant welfare concerns and production losses arising from blood loss, tick worry, hide damage, weight loss and reduced milk production.
Research published in the Veterinary Parasitology journal has shown that with an average tick burden of 50 ticks, cattle can have a 9.12 kg/head loss in weight gain, or 81 litres of lost milk production over a six-month period. Cattle ticks are also the vectors of pathogens causing tick fever, illness and even death.
The high cost of this blood-sucking parasite, coupled with the ideal climatic conditions for tick population expansion, is a strong incentive for producers to be proactive and implement an early season control program.
“An early season control program can help to reduce the build-up of tick populations on pastures and cattle before they peak. This in turn reduces their total population within the season,” says Elanco’s technical consultant Craig Stevenson.
“As soon as active cattle ticks are identified on cattle, a control program should be implemented. A tick pour-on treatment such as Acatak Duostar is the ideal strategic tick control coinciding with the ‘spring rise’ in cattle ticks.”
Mr Stevenson said Acatak Duostar is a dual-active tickicide that combines the fast-acting knockdown effect of ivermectin, with the proven long-term protection of fluazuron. Fluazuron is an insect growth regulator (IGR) that breaks the life cycle of cattle ticks.
Immature ticks that ingest fluazuron are unable to moult to the next stage and die and female adult ticks that ingest fluazuron lay eggs that don’t hatch. This leads to lower pasture contamination as the number of female adults completing their lifecycle and laying eggs will diminish. In addition to tick control, Acatak Duostar provides the convenience of controlling roundworms, buffalo flies, lice and mites in a single, pour-on dose.
Mr Stevenson said Acatak Duostar should be applied in two bands either side of the spine from the shoulder to the rump about 7cm apart using a 30mL Acatak Duostar manual applicator or a Genesis Power Doser fitted with a fan spray nozzle (55 psi operating pressure).
“It is recommended not to re-treat for at least six weeks after the previous treatment and apply no more than three treatments per tick season. Always read and follow the label directions and ensure good agricultural practice when applying the product for optimal parasite control.”
With growing cattle tick resistance to chemical treatments, Mr Stevenson said it’s important to ensure that you’re recommending an effective tick treatment; otherwise, it’s money down the drain for your clients.
“Acatak Duostar has two active ingredients to control ticks, each with a different mode of action. For the time that both actives are above the minimum effective concentration for tick control, ivermectin reduces the chemical resistance selection pressure on fluazuron and vice versa.
“Where repeat treatments are required within the same season, Acatak Duostar provides some level of rotation between the chemicals that the parasite population is exposed to. For this reason, combination products such as Acatak Duostar should be used in preference to the single actives to help mitigate the risk of resistance developing.
“If your clients are unsure of their tick resistance status or suspect poor efficacy following chemical treatment, it is important to contact either their local biosecurity officer or the chemical manufacturer directly and they can assist with organising for cattle ticks to be tested for their resistance status.
“It’s worthwhile knowing that Acatak Duostar can be used as a ‘Supervised Chemical Treatment’ when moving cattle from a tick infested zone to a tick free zone. Note that products that contain the single active ingredient, fluazuron, are unsuitable to be used as a ‘Supervised Chemical Treatment’."
