Since the introduction of acaricides a century ago, their widespread use has enhanced cattle production throughout the world by controlling tick infestations on domestic livestock. Early arsenical and organochlorine acaricides improved overall cattle health but were toxic to oxpeckers (Buphagus spp.), birds endemic to sub‐Saharan Africa which eat ticks on domestic and wild ungulates (Stutterheim, 1982; Stutterheim & Brooke, 1981). Following the introduction of these acaricides, oxpecker populations declined significantly, though this trend was reversed as target‐specific acaricides increased in use (Grobler, 1979; Stutterheim, 1982; Stutterheim & Brooke, 1981). The current generation of widelyused acaricide formulations (e.g. amitraz) is non‐toxic to vertebrates, but concerns remain about their environmental and non‐target effects (De Castro, 1997; De Meneghi, Stachurski, & Adakal, 2016). These concerns are especially pressing in regions such as sub‐Saharan Africa, where the control of tick‐borne disease in cattle continues to rely heavily on frequent application of acaricides and where oxpecker populations are still recovering (De Meneghi et al., 2016).
