Am. Spickett et al., THE EFFECT OF VELD-BURNING ON THE SEASONAL ABUNDANCE OF FREE-LIVING IXODID TICKS AS DETERMINED BY DRAG-SAMPLING, Onderstepoort journal of veterinary research, 59(4), 1992, pp. 285-292
A supervised veld-burn in the Sclerocarya caffra/Acacia nigrescens Sav
anna landscape zone in the south-eastern region of the Kruger National
Park was carried out during September 1988. The effect of the fire on
the free-living tick population was determined by comparing the numbe
rs of ticks collected by monthly drag-sampling in the burnt zone with
those collected in an adjacent unburnt zone over a 2-year period. A to
tal of 13 ixodid tick species were involved. Tick numbers were reduced
after the burn but rose again after varying periods of time. The leng
th of these periods depended upon a number of variables. These include
d tick species, patterns of seasonal abundance, and host preferences.
The original reduction in numbers seemed to result in subsequent cycli
cal population fluctuations and in some instances overcompensation was
noted. Veld-burning as a control technique may be effective with tenu
ously adapted tick species or reduced populations and may be enhanced
by the exclusion of major hosts for a critical period after the fire.