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The Caribbean Amblyomma
(Tropical Bont Tick) Programme
 The tropical bont tick (amblyomma variegatum) that has been around for several years is spreading in the Caribbean, carrying a terrible
disease that kills cattle, sheep and goats. Some call it the "pretty" tick because it is so colorful. Whatever you call it, the tropical tick can be devastating.
The Caribbean Amblyomma Programme is a Caribbean wide
approach to get rid of this tick forever. The programme is a joint effort between the Ministry of Agriculture, CARICOM, IICA, and FAO and the animal owners of the Caribbean. Many islands have
been living with the tick, spending time and money to control it and the associated diseases each time a new infestation occurs.
The tick problem is now more urgent than ever. After an number of years of static presence, the tick
has begun to move to new areas. The tick is associated with the ugly and devastating skin disease dermatophilosis, and heartwater, which can kill the animal.
The tick spreads from island to island on live animals or cattle egrets. Therefore to get rid of the
tropical bont tick for good, all Caribbean countries must eliminate the tick at the same time. It took years to get this programme together: finding a treatment that would be easy for animal owners,
getting the money to provide free Bayticol®, and co-ordination eradication activities on the various islands in the region.
 Bayticol ®has been proven to be very effective in getting rid of the bont tick. It is being provided free of charge to
the farmers of the region, along with the necessary extension and education programmes to ensure proper use. Each animal should be treated once every two weeks buy
pouring the pesticide along the animal’s back. Because of its oily consistency, the product spreads throughout the animal’s coat. In addition to killing the ticks it provides
overall protection for two weeks against any new ticks attaching. As the adult ticks can survive in the grass or pasture for up to two years, the treatment must continue for
at least that long, until all the stages of tick are dead. Bayticol® is non-systemic, meaning that there is no waiting period before using the meat or milk of a treated animal.
Activities began in Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis and the French Islands in 1995, and in Montserrat in
early 1996, with plans to begin on the remaining islands in 1996 and 1997. The regional programme on English –speaking islands is being implemented by CARICOM, the Inter-American Institute for
Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the national governments and with the technical and financial support from the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Italy and the EU. Tick eradication is being conducted on the French Caribbean islands with the support of the EU.
Life Cycle of the Tropical Bont Tick
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