Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

• Community and Urban Pest Management: public health

• Human Health: workers, residents, applicators

Target Pests

Practices

• Pest Management: chemical control, cultural control, disease vectors, eradication, exclusion, habitat modification, host resistance, monitoring/scouting, pesticide application timing, pesticide resistance management, pesticides, prevention

• Sustainable Communities: public participation

a) Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) pose a major public health risk to people, pets and livestock in the North Central region. Annually, TBDs account for approximately 75% of all vector-borne diseases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 2020). The North Central region is home to seven different tick species and 10 TBDs. Recently, the Asian longhorned tick was discovered in Missouri in August of 2021 (Missouri Department of Agriculture 2021). Each of the 12 states within the North Central region has at least three confirmed species of ticks, a fact which reinforces the urgent need to proactively mitigate the public health risks of TBDs.

b) The Public Tick IPM Working Group aspires to expand the network of stakeholders working to improve tick management strategies and reduce the human risk of exposure to infected ticks. The Working Group addresses the North Central IPM Center’s priorities of 1) increase knowledge and resources in invasive species management, while prioritizing emerging and re-emerging pests throughout the nation; 2) increase and improve outreach and resources to slow the development of pest resistance in the region; 3) improve and advocate for advanced technologies that address IPM issues and 4) identify and communicate with diverse audiences and expand innovation throughout all levels of IPM (NCIPMC Priorities 2021).

The Public Tick IPM Working Group provides a platform for Federal and non-Federal members to cross-collaborate on TBD control. The Working Group has been annually funded by the North Central IPM Center since 2013 and convenes a range of perspectives, including: researchers, policy advocates, industry professionals, government leaders and public health professionals. The Working Group supports and coordinates these partners by maintaining and publishing stakeholder priorities and undertaking projects that address one or more of those priorities. 

c) The Public Tick IPM Working Group’s objectives are to: 1) expand membership to include nationally known public-health professionals, researchers and land managers and increasing the collective knowledge of tick research, outreach and education priorities by presenting an ITM session for the 10th International IPM Symposium in Denver, CO; 2) enhance scientific knowledge of tick lifecycles, identification and taxonomy skills and best management practices among public health professionals, land managers and WG members by organizing the third Tick Academy, which will include a both an online plenary session and a hands-on ITM Field Day in Minneapolis, MN; and 3) increase awareness among health professionals and the public about ticks and TBDs by updating the North Central IPM Center’s Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Pest Alert and by hosting 10 Webinars; 4) strategically pursue new external funding to enable development of species-specific management plans in collaboration with the CDC and/or other healthcare research organizations.

d) The anticipated impact of this Working Group is to increase awareness of new and existing IPM strategies to control ticks and reduce tick-borne disease incidences by providing open access to a large network of tick resources.

1) expand membership to include nationally known public-health professionals, researchers and land managers and increasing the collective knowledge of tick research, outreach and education priorities by presenting an ITM session for the 10th International IPM Symposium in Denver, CO;

2) enhance scientific knowledge of tick lifecycles, identification and taxonomy skills and best management practices among public health professionals, land managers and WG members by organizing the third Tick Academy, which will include a both an online plenary session and a hands-on ITM Field Day in Minneapolis, MN; and

3) increase awareness among health professionals and the public about ticks and TBDs by updating the North Central IPM Center’s Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Pest Alert and by hosting 10 Webinars;

4) strategically pursue new external funding to enable development of species-specific management plans in collaboration with the CDC and/or other healthcare research organizations.