Optimizing long-acting acaricide use for integrated tick management of Rhipicephalus australis-infesting cattle in New Caledonia.

The tick Rhipicephalus australis, formerly known as Rhipicephalus microplus, is the most economically important ectoparasite of livestock in New Caledonia, affecting cattle health and production. Decades of control attempts based on the application of chemical acaricides have exerted a strong selective pressure on R. australis populations, some of which have evolved resistance to these treatments.

Development of a new approach of pasture management to control Rhipicephalus microplus infestation.

Despite several decades of chemical control, the cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus remains an important constraint for cattle farmers. The regular use of chemicals has led to the development of tick strains that are multi-resistant to acaricides. New methods of tick control are being developed and combined in integrated tick management programs.