REPELLENCE OF THE TICK RHIPICEPHALUS-APPENDICULATUS BY THE GRASS MELINIS-MINUTIFLORA

In a study to develop anti-tick pastures, the climbing behaviour of Rh ipicephalus appendiculatus on Melinis minutiflora (molasses grass) was investigated. Experiments were done with cut green stems of grass, gr ass dried in the shade, grass dried in sunshine, grass washed in solve nt and grass growing in a study plot. In all cases a common pasture gr ass, Pennisetum clandestinum (Kikuyu grass), was used as control. All instars of the tick avoided climbing on the green M. minutiflora where as most larvae, nymphs and adults climbed on the control green P. clan destinum grass. More ticks climbed on the stems dried in the sunshine than on air-dried grass. Acetone was found to be the best of 5 solvent s used to extract the tick-repellent substance. Possibilities of using M. minutiflora as part of an integrated tick control package are disc ussed.