The effectiveness of permethrin-treated deer stations for control of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis on Cape Cod and the islands: a five-year experiment
Abstract Background The use of animal host-targeted pesticide application to control blacklegged ticks, which transmit the Lyme disease bacterium between wildlife hosts and humans, is receiving increased attention as an approach to Lyme disease risk management. Included among the attractive features...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2014-06-01
|
| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-292 |
| _version_ | 1797811689311174656 |
|---|---|
| author | Jason S Grear Robert Koethe Bart Hoskins Robert Hillger Larry Dapsis Montira Pongsiri |
| author_facet | Jason S Grear Robert Koethe Bart Hoskins Robert Hillger Larry Dapsis Montira Pongsiri |
| author_sort | Jason S Grear |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The use of animal host-targeted pesticide application to control blacklegged ticks, which transmit the Lyme disease bacterium between wildlife hosts and humans, is receiving increased attention as an approach to Lyme disease risk management. Included among the attractive features of host-targeted approaches is the reduced need for broad-scale pesticide usage. In the eastern USA, one of the best-known of these approaches is the corn-baited “4-poster” deer feeding station, so named because of the four pesticide-treated rollers that surround the bait troughs. Wildlife visitors to these devices receive an automatic topical application of acaricide, which kills attached ticks before they can reproduce. We conducted a 5-year controlled experiment to estimate the effects of 4-poster stations on tick populations in southeastern Massachusetts, where the incidence of Lyme disease is among the highest in the USA. Methods We deployed a total of forty-two 4-posters among seven treatment sites and sampled for nymph and adult ticks at these sites and at seven untreated control sites during each year of the study. Study sites were distributed among Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. The density of 4-poster deployment was lower than in previous 4-poster studies and resembled or possibly exceeded the levels of effort considered by county experts to be feasible for Lyme disease risk managers. Results Relative to controls, blacklegged tick abundance at treated sites was reduced by approximately 8.4%, which is considerably less than in previous 4-poster studies. Conclusions In addition to the longer duration and greater replication in our study compared to others, possible but still incomplete explanations for the smaller impact we observed include the lower density of 4-poster deployment as well as landscape and mammalian community characteristics that may complicate the ecological relationship between white-tailed deer and blacklegged tick populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:27:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-75b87457bd8649369eb188fc19250785 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:27:27Z |
| publishDate | 2014-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-75b87457bd8649369eb188fc192507852023-06-04T11:17:51ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052014-06-01711810.1186/1756-3305-7-292The effectiveness of permethrin-treated deer stations for control of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis on Cape Cod and the islands: a five-year experimentJason S Grear0Robert Koethe1Bart Hoskins2Robert Hillger3Larry Dapsis4Montira Pongsiri5U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and DevelopmentU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New England (Region 1)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New England (Region 1)U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New England (Region 1)Cape Cod Cooperative Extension ServiceU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and DevelopmentAbstract Background The use of animal host-targeted pesticide application to control blacklegged ticks, which transmit the Lyme disease bacterium between wildlife hosts and humans, is receiving increased attention as an approach to Lyme disease risk management. Included among the attractive features of host-targeted approaches is the reduced need for broad-scale pesticide usage. In the eastern USA, one of the best-known of these approaches is the corn-baited “4-poster” deer feeding station, so named because of the four pesticide-treated rollers that surround the bait troughs. Wildlife visitors to these devices receive an automatic topical application of acaricide, which kills attached ticks before they can reproduce. We conducted a 5-year controlled experiment to estimate the effects of 4-poster stations on tick populations in southeastern Massachusetts, where the incidence of Lyme disease is among the highest in the USA. Methods We deployed a total of forty-two 4-posters among seven treatment sites and sampled for nymph and adult ticks at these sites and at seven untreated control sites during each year of the study. Study sites were distributed among Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. The density of 4-poster deployment was lower than in previous 4-poster studies and resembled or possibly exceeded the levels of effort considered by county experts to be feasible for Lyme disease risk managers. Results Relative to controls, blacklegged tick abundance at treated sites was reduced by approximately 8.4%, which is considerably less than in previous 4-poster studies. Conclusions In addition to the longer duration and greater replication in our study compared to others, possible but still incomplete explanations for the smaller impact we observed include the lower density of 4-poster deployment as well as landscape and mammalian community characteristics that may complicate the ecological relationship between white-tailed deer and blacklegged tick populations.https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-292Ixodes scapularisTickPermethrin4-posterFeeding stationHost-targeted control |
| spellingShingle | Jason S Grear Robert Koethe Bart Hoskins Robert Hillger Larry Dapsis Montira Pongsiri The effectiveness of permethrin-treated deer stations for control of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis on Cape Cod and the islands: a five-year experiment Parasites & Vectors Ixodes scapularis Tick Permethrin 4-poster Feeding station Host-targeted control |
| title | The effectiveness of permethrin-treated deer stations for control of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis on Cape Cod and the islands: a five-year experiment |
| title_full | The effectiveness of permethrin-treated deer stations for control of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis on Cape Cod and the islands: a five-year experiment |
| title_fullStr | The effectiveness of permethrin-treated deer stations for control of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis on Cape Cod and the islands: a five-year experiment |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effectiveness of permethrin-treated deer stations for control of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis on Cape Cod and the islands: a five-year experiment |
| title_short | The effectiveness of permethrin-treated deer stations for control of the Lyme disease vector Ixodes scapularis on Cape Cod and the islands: a five-year experiment |
| title_sort | effectiveness of permethrin treated deer stations for control of the lyme disease vector ixodes scapularis on cape cod and the islands a five year experiment |
| topic | Ixodes scapularis Tick Permethrin 4-poster Feeding station Host-targeted control |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-7-292 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jasonsgrear theeffectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT robertkoethe theeffectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT barthoskins theeffectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT roberthillger theeffectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT larrydapsis theeffectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT montirapongsiri theeffectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT jasonsgrear effectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT robertkoethe effectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT barthoskins effectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT roberthillger effectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT larrydapsis effectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment AT montirapongsiri effectivenessofpermethrintreateddeerstationsforcontrolofthelymediseasevectorixodesscapularisoncapecodandtheislandsafiveyearexperiment |