

Inspectors closely examine infected and suspect animals 

 for evidence of cattle fever ticks. 



tie and horses are systematically inspected 

 south of the line. The propram also includes 

 inspection of cattle at slaughter houses and 

 inspection and dipping of cattle at auction 

 markets. 



In a tick-eradication program, the pe.st can 

 lit' attacked in two locations — in the pasture 

 and on the cattle. Animals may be freed of 

 ticks in one of two w^ays — by treating with a 

 tickicide that destroys the ticks, or by pasturing 

 at proper intervals on tick-free fields until all 

 the ticks have dropped. Dipping is the method 

 generally used. The pasture-rotation method 

 is more complicated and tick-free fields are 

 seldom available. 



quarantine. Infested and exposed herds in 

 other areas were also quarantined. 



During 19(50, 91 Mexican livestock were 

 caught in the Texas-Mexican buffer area by 

 tick inspectors; also, 31 native American live- 

 stock that had strayed into Mexico were caught 

 on their return. Of the Mexican livestock, 41 

 were horses of which ?, were found to be tick 

 infested, and 50 were cattle of which 31 were 

 infested. Also, animals in 4 United States 

 hei'ds were found to be infested, and 21 herds 

 were held for further treatment. In 1960, 12,- 

 435 certificates were issued for the intrastate 

 movement of 70,659 livestock from the area. 

 In addition, 172 certificates were issued for the 

 interstate movement of 21,390 livestock. Also 

 48,151 herds of 1,045,876 live.stock were in- 

 spected for ticks, and 9,938 herds of 53,790 

 livestock were dipped. 



Plans for the future 



Effective July 1, 1960, a Federal quarantine 

 was placed on Hillsborough, Martin, and Palm 

 Beach Counties. 



The eradication program includes e.stablish- 

 ing a State tick quarantine line crossing Flor- 

 ida at Ocala. This is identical with the former 

 screwworm quarantine line established in May 

 1958 and discontinued November 1959. Florida 

 regulations require inspection and dipping of 

 animals moving north across the line. All cat- 



CATTLE FEVER TICK SITUATION 



JUNE 30, I960 



Arso Under 

 Federal ana Slate 

 Ouorontine 



UJ OfMRTIKHT OF tMICULTURE 



Proposed Slole Ticit 

 Quoranlme Lme 



eeeicuLtuBAL eEecARcH iervici 



In freeing pastures, the method followed 

 may be either direct or indirect. In the direct 

 method, cattle, horses, mules, and other host 

 animals are excluded from pastures until all 

 ticks have died of starvation. This plan is 

 seldom followed because owners are reluctant 

 to give up even temporary use of pastures. In 

 the indirect plan, cattle and other animals re- 

 main on infested pastures but are treated with 

 tickicides at regular intervals to prevent en- 

 gorged females from dropping and reinfesting 

 the field. 



All seed ticks on the pastures, or those that 

 hatch from eggs laid by females already there, 

 eventually die. Those that get on the cattle 

 from time to time are destroyed by the treat- 

 ment. Those in the pastures that fail to find 

 a host starve to death. 



23 



