Cattle ticks are becoming increasingly resistant to chemical treatments, posing a significant threat to the Australian beef industry. Bobby Rowe, a grazier in Queensland, is battling an outbreak on his property and is concerned about the long-term impact of tick resistance.
Bobby Rowe uses chemical applications and grazing management strategies to reduce tick numbers.A pesticide and a vaccine are being developed to protect livestock from cattle ticks, which are becoming resistant to chemical treatments.The vaccine and pesticide look promising but are still years away from being commercially available. Share article On a cattle property in central Queensland, Bobby Rowe is fighting an old enemy — one he fears may soon outsmart the tactics he deploys against it.
At Weir Park near Gogango, 65km south-west of Rockhampton, an outbreak of cattle ticks threatens his herd. 'You'll lose production if you don't do anything.' For six years it looked like he was winning the battle, but in October he noticed an increase in the pea-sized blood-sucking insects on his cattle's back legs and the loose skin on their neck. For decades, the main line of defence has been pesticide treatments such as sprays, plunge dips, and injections. But on another property he manages, Mr Rowe saw worrying signs the pest was growing resistant to chemical treatments. 'There are some steers there that we treated and 14 days later you wouldn't think they'd been treated,' he said.) Introduced in 1872 after 12 head of infested Brahman cattle from Indonesia escaped their yards in Darwin, cattle ticks thrived in the pastures of northern Australia. 'Where it's hotter and wetter it's a bit easier for the tick to survive,' the president of peak farming lobby group AgForce, Shane McCarthy, said. 'The tick has a bacteria in it that affects the bloodstream… makes them sick and kills them,' Mr McCarthy said. He likened it to a David and Goliath battle but instead of a man defeating a giant, an insect the size of a thumbnail could take down an entire herd. Graziers behind the tick line check for increased numbers of ticks on an animal's back legs and neck. According to the University of Queensland, cattle ticks cost Australia's beef industry more than $128 million a yea
CATTLE TICKS PEST RESISTANCE AGRICULTURE AUSTRALIA BEEF INDUSTRY
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Australian dairy cattle touch down in Indonesia for free school lunch programThe cattle have arrived in Jakarta for Indonesia's new school lunch program. The country's new president has vowed to give all students free lunches and milk through the program, which is set to cost billions of dollars.
Read more »
Australian Filmmaker Leigh Whannell Prepares for Hollywood Horror and Australian FestivalLeigh Whannell, a prominent Australian filmmaker, is preparing for the release of a new Hollywood horror film while also participating in the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Festival. The festival, dubbed 'Sundance at Surfers', aims to attract both film professionals and tourists.
Read more »
Australian grand slam champion Max Purcell accepts doping ban on eve of Australian Open7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
This is exactly how much the average Australian worker earns every weekThe Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed the median weekly income for all Australian employees.
Read more »
Hip industrial designer Henry Wilson has a brilliant new storeThe latest Australian Broadcasting Corporation news, articles and analysis from Australian Financial Review
Read more »
This day on plate ‘ticks most nutrition boxes’, according to a dietitianIllustrator Eirian Chapman shares her top-notch diet, including an Ottolenghi dish.
Read more »