Ga. Mount et al., SIMULATION OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE BLACKLEGGED TICK (ACARI, IXODIDAE) AND THE LYME-DISEASE SPIROCHETE, BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI, Journal of medical entomology, 34(6), 1997, pp. 672-683
A computer model (LYMESIM) was developed to simulate the effects of ma
nagement technologies on populations of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes s
capularis Say, and the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Jo
hnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner in eastern North America. T
echnologies considered in this study were area-wide acaricide, acarici
de self-treatment of white-footed mice and white-tailed deer, vegetati
on reduction, and white-tailed deer density reduction. Computer simula
tions were run with normal weather patterns for coastal Connecticut an
d New York. Results showed that area-wide acaricide, vegetation reduct
ion, or a combination of these technologies would be useful for short-
term seasonal management of ticks and disease in small recreational or
residential sites. Acaricide self-treatment of deer appears to be the
most cost-effective technology for use in long-term management progra
ms in large areas. Simulation results also suggested that deer density
reduction should be considered as a management strategy component. In
tegrated management strategies are presented that could be used in pil
ot tests and operational tick and tick-borne disease programs.