Failure of White-Tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus L., to Sustain a Population of Cattle Ticks, Boophilus annulatus (Say), through Successive Generations

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Abstract
Cattle ticks, Boophilus annulatus (Say), previously reared only on cattle, were placed on 3 white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virgininus L. Ticks were maintaing through successive generations solely on the same deer as they aged (3, 6, and 9 mo of age) and received repeated challenges (0, 1, and 2 previous challenges). Cattle were infested simultaneously to assess tick viability and provide a comparison of tick numbers, female weight, egg mass weight, and egg hatch. The initial infestation (3,000 larvae/animal) produced a mean of 12.7 and 506.7 females from deer and cattle, respectively. Ticks removed from deer weighed less, laid smaller egg masses, and had lower egg hatchability than cattle-reared ticks. A second infestation (3,000 larvae/animal) produced a 6.3-fold reduction in tick numbers on deer (.hivin.x = 2.0 females/deer), whereas the number on cattle increased (.hivin.x = 578.0 females/calf). Ticks reared on the deer were again smaller, laid fewer eggs, and had lower egg hatch, although differences were not significant. A third infestation of deer (1,900 larvae/deer) produced only 1 engorged female tick and no viable eggs, thus eliminating the population of deer-reared ticks within 3 generations. Results of the study suggest that a population of B. annulatus will not be sustained indefinitely through time solely on deer; thus, efforts to reduce deer populations severely as a means of eradicating ticks are unnecessary.

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