Prevalence of tick infestation and in vitro larvicidal activity of polyherbal readymade spray and traditional plant extracts

Abstract

Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) pose a significant threat to livestock health, leading to economic losses of up to US$ 30 billion globally and US$ 498.7 million annually in India. Continuous use of chemical acaricides has resulted in resistant tick populations, environmental pollution, and harm to non-target organisms. In this study, 117 ticks were collected of which 72.65% were identified as Rhipicephalus spp. and 27.35% as Hyalomma spp. Age-wise tick infestation was highest in cattle over 48 months old (42.25%), followed by 13-24 months (22.54%), 1-12 months (19.72%), and 25-48 months (15.49%). Housing systems also influenced the prevalence of tick infestation, with higher infestation in loose housing (29.55%) compared to conventional housing (12.80%). The Larval Packet Test (LPT) was used to evaluate the efficacy of deltamethrin, polyherbal readymade spray, and herbal extracts against tick larvae. The Deltamethrin (2.0 mL/L) had the highest mortality (84.15%), followed by a polyherbal readymade spray (70.70%), a combination (1:1) aqueous extract of Annona squamosa and Polyalthia longifolia (65.53%), 7% aqueous extract of Annona squamosa alone (60.00%), and 7% aqueous extract of Polyalthia longifolia alone (51.72%). These results highlight the potential of plant-based alternatives for sustainable tick control. Integrating traditional herbal treatments with modern tick management strategies could offer an eco-friendly and effective solution to mitigate the impact of TTBDs on livestock productivity.