APHIS Factsheet

Veterinary Services August 2010

Controlling Cattle 

Fever Ticks

The rugged cowboys that dominated the American 

television screen in the 1950s may have faded away, 

but real cowboys still ride the range—make that the 

river banks—of the Rio Grande. These cowboys work 

for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and are 

looking for the ticks that cause bovine babesiosis—

also called cattle fever. 

Known as “tick riders,” these mounted patrol 

inspectors first appeared in 1906 as part of the Cattle 

Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP), one of the 

first cooperative State-Federal eradication efforts. 

Through the CFTEP, the tick riders helped eradicate 

the existing infestation of cattle fever ticks in the 

United States and prevented the introduction of new 

cattle fever ticks from Mexico. They did so by using 

horseback patrol and systematic quarantines along 

the Rio Grande. By 1943, the tick riders had helped 

eradicate the two species of cattle fever ticks from 

the United States, with the exception of a permanent 

quarantine “buffer” zone between Texas and Mexico. 

 The ticks of interest to the APHIS tick riders are the 

cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus, 

and the southern cattle tick, R. (Boophilus) microplus. 

These pests are responsible for the spread of a severe 

and often fatal disease of cattle, commonly known as 

Texas or cattle fever. The disease, spread through a 

parasite that destroys red blood cells, was eradicated 

from the United States by the CFTEP between 1906 

and 1961.

Background

Spanish colonists first brought both species of cattle 

fever ticks and cattle fever disease to the United States 

through the introduction of infested cattle and horses. 

Currently, both types of ticks infest most tropical and 

subtropical areas of the Western Hemisphere. They 

frequently are found in the southern part of Texas that 

borders on tick-infested parts of Mexico. Florida had 

outbreaks of cattle fever ticks during the late 1950s 

and in 1960, but the ticks were eliminated by 1961.

Clinical Signs

Cattle with the acute form of cattle fever (generally 

contracted during the summer) develop high 

temperatures (107 or 108  ̊F) and stand with their 

heads lowered and backs arched. They experience 

a loss of appetite, including constipation followed by 

diarrhea, and decreased milk production. “Red water,” 

or bloodstained urine, is common. Death usually 

comes within 3 or 4 days after fever develops. 

 Cattle affected with the chronic form of cattle fever 

(contracted in late autumn and winter) develop a mild 

fever and stop eating and chewing their cuds. They 

also develop anemia and lose weight rapidly. The 

chronic form of the disease lasts for many weeks. 

Some deaths occur, but most animals recover 

gradually. Infected cattle frequently have relapses 3 to 

6 weeks after their temperatures return to normal and 

become susceptible to other diseases or secondary 

infections.

 Surviving animals may display nervousness known 

as “tick poverty” or “tick worry.” They become weak, 

stunted, and anemic from the continuous loss of 

blood. By themselves, ticks are capable of reducing 

the weight of a 1,000-pound steer by 200 pounds in a 

year. 

 In summer, the incubation period (the time from 

when an animal becomes infected until it first shows 

disease signs) is usually 10 to 15 days after the 

infected larvae, or seed ticks, begin feeding on the 

animal. In winter, it may take as long as 90 days.

Ticks’ Life Cycle

Cattle fever ticks spend the early part of their 

lives on the ground. Eventually they infest cattle, 

or—occasionally—horses, mules, sheep, goats, or 

deer. The ticks must have blood from an animal host 

to complete their life cycles.

 Newly hatched seed ticks, or larvae, are barely 

visible to the unaided eye. These waxy brown, sixlegged ticks crawl up grass or plants where they wait 

for an animal to pass by. If ticks do not find a host, 

they eventually die of starvation or desiccate (dry out). 

In summer, seed ticks may starve after 3 to 4 months; 

in colder periods, they may survive for 6 months.

 Usually seed ticks first attach themselves to soft 

skin inside the animal’s thigh, flanks, and forelegs or 

along the belly and brisket. There, they suck blood, 

or engorge. Then, these ticks molt twice: seed 

ticks become tiny, white, eight-legged nymphs; after 

engorging about a week, nymphs molt to become 

adults. Blood-engorged female ticks detach from 

cattle and release approximately 1,000–2,000 eggs 

before dying on the ground. Many adult ticks are olive 

green; others are mottled yellow or olive brown in 

appearance. 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination 

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national 

origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, 

familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic 

information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. 

(Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should 

contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office 

of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 

20250–9410, or call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 

(TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

Eradication

Cattle fever has caused enormous losses to the U.S. 

cattle industry in the past. Before the nationwide 

eradication program began in 1906, direct and indirect 

economic losses were estimated to be $130.5 million, 

which would be approximately $3 billion today. If the 

ticks had not been eradicated from the United States, 

the cattle industry’s losses from disease and ticks

could amount to approximately $1 billion annually.

Current Activities

 The tick riders, working through the CFTEP, still 

patrol the Rio Grande on horseback. The highly 

successful program currently consists of 85 mounted 

patrol inspectors, 7 area supervisors, 1 veterinarian 

epidemiologist, and a director of field operations, with 

2 assistants. The quarantine or “buffer” zone extends 

over 500 miles from just north of Del Rio, Texas, to the 

Gulf of Mexico, and varies from 200 yards to 6 miles in 

width. Outbreaks outside the zone are rare. Premises 

found to be infested with cattle fever ticks are placed 

under a mandatory quarantine for 6 to 9 months, 

depending on the time of year.

 APHIS tick riders detect and apprehend any 

illegally entered (stray or smuggled) Mexican livestock 

or native livestock that have crossed into Mexico and 

returned. APHIS officials inspect and dip all native 

livestock being moved within or out of the buffer zone 

in pesticides that kill ticks without injuring the animals. 

 Although a single treatment kills all the ticks on an 

animal, it will not ensure eradication because it does 

not prevent reinfestation. Only long-range programs 

can rid an area of ticks. For this reason, APHIS dips 

cattle at regular intervals for at least 1 year following 

direct or presumed contact with the pest. 

 Without these controls and diligent surveillance, 

cattle fever ticks could potentially reinfest areas of the 

United States with suitable climates.

If Your Cattle Have Ticks

If you suspect that your cattle or other livestock have 

cattle fever ticks or you do not know the species 

infesting your animals, ask an APHIS tick inspector or 

your local veterinarian to have the ticks identified and 

give you information about tick control. Each suspect 

animal should be chute-restrained so an experienced 

person can conduct a thorough inspection for ticks. 

State and Federal inspectors regularly examine cattle 

throughout the permanent quarantine buffer area until 

all cattle fever ticks are eradicated.

 Chemical dips—when properly used—kill ticks on 

animals without injuring the animals. You can obtain 

the names of the permitted dips from your veterinarian, 

State or Federal disease control officials, or the 

Federal veterinarian in charge of your State. Every 

animal in every infested and exposed herd must be 

treated.

Getting the Word Out

The ultimate goal of the CFTEP is to completely 

eliminate cattle fever ticks from the United States. 

Successful elimination of the disease vector ensures 

prevention of bovine babesiosis and protection of the 

U.S. cattle industry.

 As part of its increased surveillance activities, 

APHIS is continuing an education effort to inform U.S. 

cattle producers and veterinarians about this pest and 

the disease that it causes.

Additional Information

For more information, contact either of the following 

offices:

USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services

National Center for Import/Export

Animals Program

Telephone: (301) 734-8170

USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services

Emergency Services

4700 River Road, Unit 41

Riverdale, MD 20737-1231

Telephone: (301)734-8073actsheet