Deer-targeted methods: A review of the use of topical acaricides for the control of ticks on white-tailed deer

Abstract

White-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann), are a major host for the adult stage of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, and lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum L. The resurging population of deer in the twentieth century is linked to the emergence of multiple tick-borne pathogens associated with these and other tick species, particularly Lyme disease. Acaricides and parasiticides have long been the principal method for controlling ticks on domestic livestock, applied either topically or orally. The use and development of oral ivermectin and the passive topical treatment deer feeding station called the 4-poster for the control of the blacklegged tick on white-tailed deer is reviewed.