| dc.description.abstract | Ticks present a significant threat to the livestock industry in Uganda, vectoring diseases that cause economic losses and negatively affect animal welfare. The persistent use of acaricides, often accompanied by poor application practices, has contributed to heightened resistance in ticks. As a result, farmers have begun using agricultural pesticides to manage the tick problem, raising concerns regarding their efficacy and potential side effects. For this reason, a cross-sectional study was conducted in three sub-counties of Kiboga district; Kapeke, Dwaniro, and Lwamata to identify the predominant acaricides and agrochemicals used for tick control, understand the associated usage practices, and evaluate perceived adverse effects on humans and animals. In this study, a chi-square analysis was also conducted to assess the statistical significance of the data, revealing valuable insights between socio-demographic characteristics with use of agro-pesticides. Eighty three (83) farmers participated, distributed as 28 from Kapeke, 30 from Dwaniro, and 25 from Lwamata. Results showed that majority of the respondents (61.5%, 51/83) primarily used amitrazbased acaricides. Most (56.6%, 47/83) depended on personal knowledge for acaricide application. A significant 86.7% (72/83) mixed acaricides with agrochemicals, while 6% (5/83) combined multiple acaricide brands. About 68.9% (58/83) switched acaricide once the current one became ineffective. The commonly used agrochemicals as acaricide were dudu acelamectin (73.5%, 61/83), ocelamectin (12%, 10/83) and dudu force (3.6%, 3/83). Level of education was significantly associated with use of agro-pesticides as acaricides in tick control (p =0.04 ) with people of lower level of education more likely to use these agro-pesticides. Adverse effects noted from agrochemical included blindness, and skin irritation in livestock, sneezing and eye irritation in human handlers. The findings of this study emphasize an urgent need for better tick control practices. There is a requirement for effective acaricide rotation, implementation of safety protocols, and a deeper exploration into the implications using in tick control. | en_US |
