Small mammal dissemination of acaricide-laden polymeric multiporous microparticles

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

2:42 PM – 2:54 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 220

Presenting Author(s)

Alyssa Branca

Research Biologist
BanfieldBio Inc.
Woodinville, Washington

Co-Author(s)

JJ

Jillian Joiner

BanfieldBio Inc.
Kenmore, Washington
Michael Banfield

President
BanfieldBio Inc.
Woodinville, Washington
Sarah A. Hamer

Professor
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
GH

Gabriel Hamer

Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
JO

Jeb P. Owen

Washington State University
Pullman, Washington
John H. Borden

Principal Consultant
JHB Consulting
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
DM

Daniel Marshall

Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Small mammals, such as Peromyscus spp., are common tick larval hosts and reservoirs for the agents of several tick-borne diseases. We hypothesized that Peromyscus spp. could be used to disseminate acaricide-loaded microspheres throughout their environment and transport the particles to their den. We premised the method upon an assumption that ticks would be more prevalent where hosts were active. Our technique embraced a novel dual-action acaricidal formulation, with an acute toxicant to kill ticks currently on the rodent, and a longer-lasting toxicant and/or an insect growth regulator (IGR) to dose larval ticks in the burrow in the next season. Mice dosed themselves by entering a cardboard rodent box (dissemination station) containing microspheres and black oil sunflower seeds as bait. The electrostatic microspheres were acquired on their tails and to a lesser extent their fur. Baited rodent boxes were placed at discrete intervals away from the dissemination station to demonstrate that rodents could disseminate the microspheres at least 10m, thus providing a novel means with potential to target tick populations. Current methods of tick control are not capable of such precise delivery of acaracide to ticks. Area-wide sprays require large volumes of expensive acaricide that can negatively affect non-target arthropods and promote acaricide resistance in the tick population, while spraying cannot reach ticks within rodent burrows and covered trails. Our future work will measure efficacy over seasons against ticks of veterinary importance to prove the utility of the technique.