Abstract
The present study aimed to assess whether agri-environment field margins provide a habitat for the sheep/deer tick Ixodes ricinus. Field studies were conducted in arable farmland in southern England in both extant and newly constructed field margins. The presence and intensity (i.e. the mean number of nymphs per transect, excluding zeros) of questing nymphs and adult I. ricinus were compared between field margins with three adjacent habitats: woodland, hedgerow and arable land. The presence and intensity of ticks within a field margin was also compared between three ecozones: the ecotone, the margin and the crop. It was found that field margins do support I. ricinus, although the intensity of ticks was associated with field margins with adjacent woodland, with a higher tick intensity along the ecotonal ecozone, compared with the rest of the margin or the crop edge. The presence of a hedge also increased the likelihood of finding questing nymphs in a field margin compared with a margin adjacent to arable land. This effect, however, was less pronounced than in field margins with adjacent woodland. The provision of footpaths within the margin (at least 1–2 m from the ecotone), or on the edge of the crop where paths run next to woodland known to be an important tick habitat, could be promoted to minimize tick exposure. In addition, based on the results of the present study, raising awareness that walking alongside woodlands also constitutes a tick risk could be promoted.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 175-183 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Medical and Veterinary Entomology |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:JMM, KH and ELG were partly funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Environmental Change and Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), and in collaboration with the University of Exeter, University College London, and the Met Office. JMM was also partly funded by the NIHR HPRU on Emerging Infections and Zoonoses at the University of Liverpool in partnership with PHE and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR, the Department of Health, or PHE. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Funding Information:
JMM, KH and ELG were partly funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Environmental Change and Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in partnership with Public Health England (PHE), and in collaboration with the University of Exeter, University College London, and the Met Office. JMM was also partly funded by the NIHR HPRU on Emerging Infections and Zoonoses at the University of Liverpool in partnership with PHE and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR, the Department of Health, or PHE. The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Crown copyright. Medical and Veterinary Entomology © 2020 The Royal Entomological Society
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords
- Ecotone
- Ixodes ricinus
- UK
- field margin
- habitat
- tick
- vector