What makes ticks and flies so dangerous is not that they feed on us but rather they can transmit a number of diseases. For example, most of us are familiar with tick borne diseases affecting humans such as Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Cattle are also in susceptible to tick and fly-borne diseases. Thus their control is important to the overall health of your herd and ultimately profitability. The external parasites causing major losses in the cattle industry are ticks, horn flies, face flies, and stable flies.

Ticks cause blood loss, discomfort, and spread diseases in cattle such as bovine babesiosis, tick fever, Lyme disease, and anaplasmosis.  Probably the best known of this list affecting cattle is anaplasmosis. Ticks can transfer blood from infected cattle to others in the herd.

Tick Control in Cattle

Tick control is extremely difficult in areas with high tick populations. High concentrations of ticks usually occur in brushy pastures and woodlands so habitat management is an important part of tick control. Control on cattle through persistent use of approved pesticides is achieved by spraying, ear tags, pour-ons, dust, and backrubs. A good residual insecticide is necessary to prevent infestation.

Asian Longhorned Tick

This invasive tick was found in west central Illinois for the first time in April 2024. It is a pest of concern for livestock because severe infestations can be fatal. Explore more about how to identify and manage Asian Longhorned Tick.