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ARS Home » Plains Area » Kerrville, Texas » Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory » Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407894
Research Project: Integrated Pest Management of Cattle Fever Ticks

Location: Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit

Title: Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus and white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus use of water troughs with and without remotely operated field sprayers for potential treatment of cattle fever ticks

Author
item Goolsby, John
item Maestas, Lauren
item Garcia, Reyes
item CRUZ, MAURICIO - University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley
item FERIA, TERESA - University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Submitted to: Subtropical Agriculture and Environments
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2023
Publication Date: 3/21/2024
Citation: Goolsby, J., Maestas, L.P., Garcia Iii, R., Cruz, M., Feria, T. 2024. Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus and white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus use of water troughs with and without remotely operated field sprayers for potential treatment of cattle fever ticks. Subtropical Agriculture and Environments. 74:21-25.2023.

Interpretive Summary: Cattle fever ticks (CFT) are invasive livestock pests that are endemic to Mexico and invasive along the Texas – Mexico border. Pesticide resistance, alternate wildlife hosts, and pasture weeds that help ticks survive all present challenges for sustainable eradication of this pest in the U.S. CFT are the vector for bovine babesiosis, a lethal disease causing high mortality particularly in cattle. Efforts to eradicate CFT from the United States have been successful; however, in recent years, there has been an increase in CFT infestations outside of the Permanent Quarantine Zone in Texas. New methods for management of cattle fever tick-infested white-tailed-deer and nilgai are needed especially along the Texas-Mexico border. This study documents the use of water troughs equipped with remotely operated sprayers by of nilgai and white-tailed deer. Water troughs that could be potentially used as a treatment location for eradication of cattle fever tick infested nilgai and white-tailed deer.

Technical Abstract: Nilgai antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus and white-tailed deer (WTD), Odocoileus virginianus are hosts of cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus (=Boophilus) microplus, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Daily use of water troughs and ponds were observed to determine if these locations could be used for field treatment methods for cattle fever ticks using remotely operated field sprayers. Game cameras (n=16) were deployed between June 2020 and September 2022 at two private ranches in Cameron County, TX. Both nilgai and WTD visited water troughs equipped with motion detecting sprayers in similar numbers to ponds, but numbers of animal visits were lower during periods of high rainfall when playa lakes formed. Water troughs may be ecologically friendly lure stations for treatment of cattle fever tick-infested wildlife. Further research is recommended for use of this system in the USDA-APHIS/Texas Animal Health Commission, Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program.