Assembly Pheromones for Effective and Economical Tick Control-A Review

Control of tick populations is essential for improved animal health and production. Innovative methods for tick control, obviating the need of toxic chemicals is one of the priorities, as apart from residual toxicity to humans and resistance against these chemicals. Use of pheromones to lure and kill ticks is one of the economical means to control ticks and can be employed as a part of integrated management of ticks. This technique ensures the reduction in the use of chemical acaricides. Amongst the pheromones, the most commonly employed one is the assembly pheromone. The pros and cons of its usage, various methods employed for their sustained release and their impact on the tick population are discussed.