Mechanical Acaricides Active against the Blacklegged Tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i>
Cases of Lyme disease in humans are on the rise in the United States and Canada. The vector of the bacteria that causes this disease is the blacklegged tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i>. Current control methods for <i>I. scapularis</i> mainly involve chemical acaricides. Unfortu...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Insects |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/8/672 |
| _version_ | 1797432099112747008 |
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| author | Elise A. Richardson Loganathan Ponnusamy R. Michael Roe |
| author_facet | Elise A. Richardson Loganathan Ponnusamy R. Michael Roe |
| author_sort | Elise A. Richardson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cases of Lyme disease in humans are on the rise in the United States and Canada. The vector of the bacteria that causes this disease is the blacklegged tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i>. Current control methods for <i>I. scapularis</i> mainly involve chemical acaricides. Unfortunately, ticks are developing resistance to these chemicals, and more and more, the public prefers non-toxic alternatives to chemical pesticides. We discovered that volcanic glass, Imergard<sup>TM</sup> WP, and other industrial minerals such as Celite 610 were efficacious mechanical insecticides against mosquitoes, filth flies, and agricultural pests. In this report, when 6–10- and 50–70-day old unfed <i>I. scapularis</i> nymphs were dipped for 1–2 s into Celite, the time to 50% mortality (LT<sub>50</sub>) was 66.8 and 81.7 min, respectively, at 30 °C and 50% relative humidity (RH). The LT<sub>50</sub> was actually shorter at a higher 70% RH, 43.8 min. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the ticks were coated over most of their body surface, including partial to almost total coverage of the opening to their respiratory system. The other mechanical insecticide, Imergard, had similar efficacy against blacklegged unfed nymphs with an LT<sub>50</sub> at 30 °C and 50% RH of 70.4 min. Although more research is needed, this study suggests that industrial minerals could be used as an alternative to chemical pesticides to control ticks and Lyme disease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:55:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6ee7e4d7e19c426d96a648a672b8ceaa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:55:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-6ee7e4d7e19c426d96a648a672b8ceaa2023-12-01T23:49:21ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502022-07-0113867210.3390/insects13080672Mechanical Acaricides Active against the Blacklegged Tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i>Elise A. Richardson0Loganathan Ponnusamy1R. Michael Roe2Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, 3230 Ligon Street, Raleigh, NC 27695, USADepartment of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, 3230 Ligon Street, Raleigh, NC 27695, USADepartment of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, 3230 Ligon Street, Raleigh, NC 27695, USACases of Lyme disease in humans are on the rise in the United States and Canada. The vector of the bacteria that causes this disease is the blacklegged tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i>. Current control methods for <i>I. scapularis</i> mainly involve chemical acaricides. Unfortunately, ticks are developing resistance to these chemicals, and more and more, the public prefers non-toxic alternatives to chemical pesticides. We discovered that volcanic glass, Imergard<sup>TM</sup> WP, and other industrial minerals such as Celite 610 were efficacious mechanical insecticides against mosquitoes, filth flies, and agricultural pests. In this report, when 6–10- and 50–70-day old unfed <i>I. scapularis</i> nymphs were dipped for 1–2 s into Celite, the time to 50% mortality (LT<sub>50</sub>) was 66.8 and 81.7 min, respectively, at 30 °C and 50% relative humidity (RH). The LT<sub>50</sub> was actually shorter at a higher 70% RH, 43.8 min. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the ticks were coated over most of their body surface, including partial to almost total coverage of the opening to their respiratory system. The other mechanical insecticide, Imergard, had similar efficacy against blacklegged unfed nymphs with an LT<sub>50</sub> at 30 °C and 50% RH of 70.4 min. Although more research is needed, this study suggests that industrial minerals could be used as an alternative to chemical pesticides to control ticks and Lyme disease.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/8/672industrial mineralsCelite 610Imergard<sup>TM</sup> WPdiatomaceous earthperlite |
| spellingShingle | Elise A. Richardson Loganathan Ponnusamy R. Michael Roe Mechanical Acaricides Active against the Blacklegged Tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> Insects industrial minerals Celite 610 Imergard<sup>TM</sup> WP diatomaceous earth perlite |
| title | Mechanical Acaricides Active against the Blacklegged Tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> |
| title_full | Mechanical Acaricides Active against the Blacklegged Tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> |
| title_fullStr | Mechanical Acaricides Active against the Blacklegged Tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mechanical Acaricides Active against the Blacklegged Tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> |
| title_short | Mechanical Acaricides Active against the Blacklegged Tick, <i>Ixodes scapularis</i> |
| title_sort | mechanical acaricides active against the blacklegged tick i ixodes scapularis i |
| topic | industrial minerals Celite 610 Imergard<sup>TM</sup> WP diatomaceous earth perlite |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/8/672 |
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