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ARS Home » Plains Area » Kerrville, Texas » Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory » Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #398956
Research Project: Management of Ticks of Veterinary Importance

Location: Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit

Title: Artificial infestation of white-tailed deer with ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) to study tick-host interactions

Author
item BAKER, ALEC - TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE
item PERSINGER, KELLY - TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE
item Olafson, Pia
item JOHNSON, TAMMI - TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/30/2023
Publication Date: 5/23/2023
Citation: Baker, A.S., Persinger, K.A., Olafson, P.U., Johnson, T.L. 2023. Artificial infestation of white-tailed deer with ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) to study tick-host interactions. Journal of Insect Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iead029.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iead029

Interpretive Summary: White-tailed deer are a main host for the adult life stages of tick species of medical and veterinary importance. Since white-tailed deer play a vital role in tick ecology, research has been conducted to understand this tick-host relationship. To date, research involving captive white-tailed deer and artificial infestation of these animals with ticks has focused on host suitability, the role of white-tailed deer in tick-borne diseases, and anti-tick vaccine research. However, the methodology reported for these studies were at times not descriptive and were inconsistent between studies regarding how and what region of the white-tailed deer was infested with ticks. Here, we propose a standardized method to artificially infest captive white-tailed deer with ticks for research purposes. The protocol describes a method proven effective to experimentally infest captive white-tailed deer with blacklegged ticks to study tick-host interactions. The methods can be reliably transferred for use in white-tailed deer infestations by other multi-host and one-host tick species.

Technical Abstract: White-tailed deer are a main host for the adult life stages of tick species of medical and veterinary importance. Since white-tailed deer play a vital role in tick ecology, research has been conducted to understand this tick-host relationship. To date, research involving captive white-tailed deer and artificial infestation of these animals with ticks has focused on host suitability, the role of white-tailed deer in tick-borne diseases, and anti-tick vaccine research. However, the methodology reported for these studies were at times not descriptive and were inconsistent between studies regarding how and what region of the white-tailed deer was infested with ticks. Here, we propose a standardized method to artificially infest captive white-tailed deer with ticks for research purposes. The protocol describes a method proven effective to experimentally infest captive white-tailed deer with blacklegged ticks to study tick-host interactions. The methods can be reliably transferred for use in white-tailed deer infestations by other multi-host and one-host tick species.