Use of sex pheromone, 2,6-dichlorophenol, to disrupt mating by american dog tickDermacentor variabilis (SAY).

Treatment ofD. variabilis-infested dogs with formulations of the sex pheromone, 2,6-dichlorophenol, significantly reduced mating by the attached ticks. Aqueous emulsions of a gelatin microcapsule-xylene slurry and a pheromone-loaded, molecular-sieve powder were used. Concentration was an important variable influencing product efficacy. Such formulations combined with an acaricide may prove effective in reducing tick populations on livestock and pets.