Pathogens and predators of ticks and their potential in biological control

This review summarizes the literature about pathogens and predators of tick s and their potential use as biocontrol agents published since the beginnin g of this century. In nature, many bacteria, fungi, spiders, ants, beetles, rodents, birds, and other living things contribute significantly toward li miting tick populations, as do, for instance, the grooming activities of ho sts. Experiments with the most promising potential tick biocontrol agents-e specially fungi of the genera Beauveria and Metarhizium and nematodes in th e families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae, as well as oxpeckers-are described.