Efficacy of Azadirachta indica extracts against Boophilus microplus.

Extracts were prepared from leaf, bark, and seed of Azadirachta indica, leaf and seed of Prunus persica, bark of Mangifera indica, and leaf of Psidium guajava and were evaluated against Boophilus microplus. Of the eight extracts screened, the extracts prepared from the A. indica seed showed very high level of efficacy (80%) after 5 h of treatment. Besides the immediate effect on adult ticks, the egg-laying properties of the survived ticks was also assessed, and a significant reduction (P < 0.01) in the reproductive index of ticks fed on animals treated with A. indica seed extracts was noted in comparison to control. The efficacy of the neem seed extracts was compared with the commonly used synthetic pyrethroids, and comparable efficacy against B. microplus fed on animals treated with neem seed extracts and acaricide treated was noted. The possibility of using the extracts in IPM format for the management of ticks is discussed.