Tick-repellent properties of four plant species against Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neumann (Acarina: Ixodidae) tick species

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to investigate the repellence effects of extracts of four plant species on Rhipicephalus appendiculatus (Neumann) larvae. The plants were Cissus adenocucaulis F, Cassia didymobotrya Fresen., Kigelia africana(Lam.) Benth. and Euphorbia hirta L. The effects were evaluated by the fingertip repellence bioassay using extracts obtained using three organic solvents of different polarities: methanol, dichloromethane and hexane. The study demonstrated that all extracts evaluated showed a repellence effect that ranged from 43-88%. For all four plant species, the use of different extraction solvents did not significantly vary repellence effect (P>0.05). C. didymobotrya and K. africana showed the best repellence percentages. These indicate the strong potential of these plants for tick control in an integrated tick management system for livestock owned by resource-poor farmers in northern Uganda.