eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 0973-1245 2016-01-30 4 1 95 104 5567 article Godwin P. Kaaya 1 Ramesh C. Saxena 2 Solomon Gebre 3 Department of Biology, University of Namibia, Private Bag 13301, Windhoek (Namibia) G-152 Palam Vihar, Gurgaon - 122 017 (India) National Animal Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 4, Sebeta (Ethiopia) The potential of Neem oil, two Neem oil-based liquid formulations and powdered Neem seed mixed with diet ingested by goats were evaluated for their effects on Amblyomma variegatum ticks. The test materials at high concentrations in vitro induced significant mortality of immature stages of A. variegatum and to a lesser degree of adults. Mortality increased with the increasing concentration of the Neem products as well as azadirachtin content. Application of Neem compounds on rabbit skin inhibited attachment of all instars of A. variegatum for 2-4 days. Thereafter, ticks that attached took longer to feed than controls that were fed on peanut oil treated rabbits. This phenomenon gradually disappeared with increasing period post Neem application. Fewer numbers of all instars of A. variegatum were able to attach on rabbits treated with the 3 Neem products. However this inhibitory effect disappeared by day 10 post Neem application. Neem oil significantly reduced hatchability of eggs of R. appendiculatus and B. decoloratus and the effect was observed to be concentration dependent. A. variegatum ticks that were allowed to engorge on goats feeding on a diet containing powdered Neem seed in 3:1 or 2:1 proportions exhibited a significant reduction in their ability to attach and engorge. Feeding, molting and overall development periods were also significantly prolonged. Mortalities were also higher in all tick instars and fecundity was significantly reduced. All these effects were concentration dependent. Spraying 25% Neem oil on de-ticked Zebu cattle grazing in tick-infested pastures (A. variegatum, R. appendiculatus and B. decoloratus) significantly reduced the number of immature and adult ticks attaching on cattle for a period of 4 to 5 days. https://www.biotech-asia.org/vol4no1/the-potential-of-neem-products-for-control-of-economically-important-african-ticks/ Azadirachta indica a; cattle; ticks control; Neem; R. appendiculatus