Taktic® Cattle Spray | Product Education | AgBlogs
Taktic® Cattle Spray: The ultimate tick solution for
South African Farmers
With the
approach of spring and summer, the tick season has started again and protecting
your livestock from ticks and their accompanying diseases is of utmost
importance for our farmers. In this article, we will be unpacking the uses,
benefits and things to look out for when using Taktic® Cattle
Spray.
Taktic® Cattle Spray is formulated for external use on a
variety of animals and livestock such as cattle, sheep, ostriches, goats, pigs
and even dogs. Another use is as a
control for the Varroa Destructor mite in beekeeping. The active ingredient is
amitraz, a broad-spectrum insecticide and acaricide. It can be used in the
treatment of ticks, mange mites, lice and even keds in sheep including the
trouble some sheep scab mites.
Animals you
should not use Taktic® Cattle Spray on:
Taktic is
not recommended for use in horses, cats and small-breed dogs. This product
should also not be used on diabetic animals because it adversely affects
glucose and insulin levels for a short while.
How does it work?
Taktic® Cattle Spray has an interaction with the octopamine receptors of the
central nervous system and it inhibits monoamine, oxidases and prostaglandin
synthesis in the tick. In layman's terms, it leads to over-excitation,
paralysis and death in insects. It causes rapid detachment of ticks from
animals and can stop parasites from re-infesting for about 29 days.
What are
the benefits of using Taktic® Cattle Spray on animals?
In a recent
Australian study, multiple dips and products were tested for the cattle export
market and it became apparent that, for at least some of the preparations
trialled, there was an urgent need for additional withholding periods to export
market requirements. For this
preparation, the residual concentrations of chemicals in the fat of all the
trial cattle during the final sampling period exceeded the US tolerance of
0.01mg/kg. This means residual chemicals were still present in the fat of the
export animals after several days of treatment or dip. Taktic, however, was
found to have no significant residues and therefore was safe to use on export
cattle.
Taktic® Cattle Spray is effective against a wide range of ticks, mites and lice.
It is only
active in the body for a short amount of time and the effects against ticks,
mites and lice last for about a month.
Concentration and user instructions:
Ticks on Cattle
Application – Only for use by spraying (hand spraying or spray races).
Initial dilution rate – 1 ℓ Taktic® Cattle
Spray per 500 ℓ water. Pre-mix the required amount of Taktic® Cattle
Spray with a suitable amount of water in a container. Once mixed
thoroughly, add to the measured bulk water in the spray sump and stir
thoroughly.
Replenishment – It is recommended that not more than 500 head of cattle be
sprayed in the spray race at one time, especially where fouling is a problem.
If however, this figure is exceeded, boosting at a rate of 100 mℓ
of Taktic® Cattle Spray per 100 head, commencing at
500 head, can be undertaken to maintain a satisfactory deposit of active
ingredient especially where tick-borne diseases are a problem.
Intensive tick control is provided by use as directed at weekly intervals.
All animals should be treated and interruption of the programme should be
avoided as they will then, if not vaccinated, be susceptible to various
tick-borne diseases.
Under circumstances of low tick challenge, it may be used, at the user’s discretion,
at intervals greater than 7 days. In these circumstances, users are advised to
make use of relevant vaccines to obtain optimal protection of their cattle
against prevalent tick-borne diseases.
Treatment of sheep scab mites
Note: When treating an outbreak of sheep scab mites, it is
essential that:
All
sheep on the farm are correctly treated and marked after treatment.
All
animals must be checked 7 to 10 days after treatment and any animals not marked
must be treated. Sheep scab is a notifiable disease, contact the State
Veterinarian.
Application – For plunge dips and continuous replenishment showers only.
Initial dilution rate – 1 ℓ Taktic® Cattle
Spray per 250 ℓ of water.
Topping up – As this dip wash does strip, top up after dip or sump falls
by 20 % of the initial volume. Replenish at 1,5 ℓ Taktic® Cattle
Spray per 250 ℓ of water added.
Dip the animal long enough to ensure that the animal is properly soaked and
that its head is submerged at least 3 times.
Only a once-off treatment is necessary for the treatment of sheep scab mites.
Sheep lice, itch mites and keds
Taktic® Cattle
Spray can be used 60 days before shearing as it has a degradation time of
35 to 45 days after which wool residues will no longer be a concern.
Application – For plunge dips and continuous replenishment showers only.
Initial dilution rate – 1 ℓ Taktic® Cattle
Spray per 500 ℓ of water.
Topping up – As this dip wash does strip, top up after dip or sump falls
by 25 % of the initial volume. Replenish at 1,5 ℓ Taktic® Cattle
Spray per 500 ℓ of water added.
Two dippings, 14 days apart, are necessary for the treatment of lice on sheep,
itch mites and keds.
Prevention of lumpy wool – Add 1 kg zinc sulphate crystals to 400 ℓ dip
wash.
Ostriches
Application – Spray formulation.
Dilution rate – 1-part Taktic® Cattle Spray in 1
000 parts of water.
Spray birds until run off. Use at least 5 ℓ of the prepared dip per bird.
Goat mange mites
Application – For plunge dips and continuous replenishment showers only.
Initial dilution rate – 1 ℓ Taktic® Cattle
Spray per 250 ℓ water.
Topping up – As this dip wash does strip, top up after dip or sump falls
by 20 % of the initial volume. Replenish at 1,5 ℓ Taktic® Cattle
Spray per 250 ℓ of water added.
Only a once-off treatment is necessary for the treatment of goat mange mites.
Goat Lice
Application – For plunge dips and continuous replenishment showers only.
Initial dilution rate – 1 ℓ Taktic® Cattle
Spray per 500 ℓ water.
Topping up – As this dip wash does strip, top up after dip or sump falls
by 25 % of the initial volume. Replenish at 1,5 ℓ Taktic® Cattle
Spray per 500 ℓ of water added.
Two dippings, 14 days apart, are necessary for the treatment of lice on goats.
For the
eradication and control of red lice on goats, Taktic® Cattle
Spray can be used simultaneously (in dip tank mixing) with Fleececare® (G1743
Act 36/1947, Namibia V93/18.3.8/515 NS0) as a once off treatment. The following
dilution table must be used:
Is Taktic
poisonous or toxic to humans and animals?
As an
insecticide, it is one of the lesser toxic products available on the market as
it is much less toxic to mammals than lice, mites and ticks. It can however
cause poisoning in animals and humans when ingested, inhaled or after skin
exposure, but the effects of Amitraz wear off within 24 hours.
As with most
insecticides and poisons used in agriculture, it is important to take
precautions to ensure the safety of both the animal and the user.
Wear
protective gear, including a mask, rubber gloves, boots and a waterproof coat
when mixing the dip and handling the treated animals. As with any chemical
substance, it is important to use the suggested mix ratios and dosages as
suggested on the packaging for the animal you are dealing with.
Taktic® Cattle Spray is a versatile and effective
solution for South African farmers in the battle against external parasites. It
provides a wide range of benefits, from tick control on cattle to managing lice
and mites on various livestock species. By following the provided directions
and safety precautions, you can ensure the health and well-being of your
animals on the farm.
References:
https://www.msd-animal-health.co.za/products/taktic-cattle-spray/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/amitraz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitraz