Evaluation of Acaricide Treatments to Experimentally Reduce Winter Tick Load on Moose

The study evaluated the effectiveness of acaricide treatments in reducing winter tick loads on moose calves in eastern Canada from 2018 to 2022. It involved 7 treated and 6 untreated calves in 2018, and 37 treated and 36 untreated calves in 2020 and 2022. The study found that permethrin 5% was ineffective, while a combination of permethrin 44% and fluralaner significantly reduced tick-induced hair loss, with only 41% of treated calves experiencing hair loss compared to 94% of untreated ones. The timing of treatment was crucial, as some treated moose still developed hair loss due to tick life stage progression. The study highlighted challenges with oral administration of fluralaner and emphasized the need for further research on single-product treatments and timing for effective management of tick infestations in moose.