Cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae): Potential control on pastures by the application of urea fertilizer

The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, spends as much as 80-90% of its life cycle as a larva questing for a host. Standard control methods are limited to on-host applications, leaving a need for methods directed at the pasture infesting stages. Reports from Brazil indicate that pasture fertilization can reduce tick numbers. Granular urea was tested using standard pesticide efficacy methods in both the laboratory and field trials to determine if there was a significant impact on adult reproduction and larval survival. Under the conditions of this present study, there was no detectable effect on either female adults or larval stages. Ammonification in the soil may be a key factor limiting the impact of fertilizer treatments.