Patent ID: 7166294

Claim:
A method of controlling ticks in small rodents comprising providing one or more enclosures of appropriate size to said rodents, said enclosures having one or more peripheral openings allowing entry and egress of rodents therein, said enclosure including at least one applicator arranged to contact rodents that enter said enclosure, providing a composition consisting essentially of an ectoparasiticide and inactive ingredients on said applicator, and placing said one or more enclosures in a locus at which said rodents are expected; said applicator being arranged and said composition being provided to apply an ectoparasiticidally effective amount of the composition to the skin or hair of said rodents upon contact with said applicator, wherein the applicator is inaccessible to contact with a human hand from said one or more peripheral openings and further wherein the ectoparasiticide is a compound of formula: also known as 3-cyano-1-(2,6-dichloro-4-trifluoromethyl) phenyl-5-N-(ethoxyacetyl)-N-methyl-4-trifluoromethylsulfinylpyrazole, said ectoparasiticide being present in said composition in an amount of from 0.1% to 5% by weight and present in said one or more enclosures in an amount of from 0.001 gram to 2.0 grams per enclosure.