Hassan S M, Dipeolu O O, Amoo A O, Odhiambo T R
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya.
Vet Parasitol. 1991 Mar;38(2-3):199-204. doi: 10.1016/0304-4017(91)90129-j.
Chickens were shown to be natural predators of ticks. Rhipicephalus appendiculatus were recovered in large numbers from the crops and gizzards of chickens which had scavenged for 30 min-1 h among tick-infested cattle. Other ticks recovered were Amblyomma variegatum and Boophilus decoloratus. The numbers of ticks recovered ranged from 3 to 331, with an average of 81 per chicken. Cattle facilitated the predation of ticks by certain behavioural actions. Chickens also picked up both engorged and unengorged ticks seeded on vegetation, but unengorged ticks were preferred. The possibility of tick predation by chickens forming a viable biological control component in an integrated tick management system in Africa is discussed.
鸡被证明是蜱虫的天然捕食者。在以蜱虫为患的牛群中觅食30分钟至1小时的鸡的嗉囊和砂囊中大量发现了微小扇头蜱。回收的其他蜱虫有变异革蜱和无色牛蜱。回收的蜱虫数量从3只到331只不等，每只鸡平均81只。牛通过某些行为促进了蜱虫的捕食。鸡也会捕食植被上附着的饱血蜱虫和未饱血蜱虫，但更喜欢未饱血的蜱虫。文中讨论了在非洲的综合蜱虫管理系统中，鸡捕食蜱虫形成可行生物控制成分的可能性。
