Integrated Pest Management for Livestock Ectoparasites in North East Nigeria

This study develops and evaluates integrated pest management approaches for controlling livestock ectoparasites in North East Nigeria, addressing the limitations of exclusive reliance on acaricides that have contributed to resistance development and environmental contamination. Ticks, lice, mange mites, and flies impose major production losses on cattle, sheep, and goats in North East Nigeria, and conventional acaricide use is increasingly compromised by resistance. An IPM approach combining biological control, animal management, botanical acaricides, and strategic targeted acaricide application offers a sustainable alternative. This study reviews ectoparasite species distribution, acaricide resistance patterns, and existing control practices through surveys of 120 livestock producers in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States. Resistance testing of common acaricide classes is conducted on Rhipicephalus microplus ticks collected from field populations. Field trials evaluate IPM protocols combining neem extract application, strategic pyrethroid application only at high burden threshold, pen hygiene management, and predatory wasp release for fly control. Findings reveal significant resistance to synthetic pyrethroids in 58 percent of tested tick populations and to organophosphates in 34 percent, confirming that resistance is widespread. The IPM protocol achieves tick burden reduction equivalent to conventional calendar-spraying programmes while reducing total acaricide applications by 64 percent over a 12-month trial period. The study recommends a North East Nigeria livestock ectoparasite resistance monitoring programme and promotion of IPM protocols through state veterinary extension services.

Keywords: integrated pest management, ectoparasites, acaricide resistance, North East Nigeria, tick control.