A comparative assessment of the acaricidal activity of Tephrosia vogelii on Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Amblyomma variegatum in Makoni district, Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study sought to assess the effectiveness of using Tephrosia vogelii leaf extract as an acaricide on two tick species Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Amblyomma variegatum which are the most prevalent tick species affecting cattle in Makoni District of Zimbabwe. The number of ticks of each of two species, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Amblyomma variegatum were initially counted on each of the twelve cattle before spraying with alcohol and water-based leaf extracts. The number of ticks remaining on each animal after spraying were counted for five days and percentage mortality determined. There was a significant difference in mortality for R. appendiculatus and A. variegatum (p