Amitraz - Use

Use

Amitraz is particularly effective against acarids,7 but it is used as a pesticide in many different fields.Therefore amitraz is available in many different forms, as in a wettable powder, emulsifiable concentrate, soluble concentrate/liquid, and impregnated collar (for dogs).6 It is characterized as an insect repellent, insecticide and pesticide synergist. These are the properties which make it especially useful as a pesticide:4 - The repellent effect causes insects to turn away from their target as this is treated with amitraz.4 - It acts as an insecticide, which means that it can be used to control insects that are directly or indirectly harmful to men.4 - As a pesticide synergist it also increases the effect of some other pesticides if they are combined with amitraz.4 These can be traced back to the mechanisms of action, which lead to a wide field of effects, including direct lethality, excitant-repellant behavioral effects, and chemosterilization for the target species.5 In addition it generally causes low damage to nontarget species, which is one of the advantages of amitraz. Furthermore amitraz is especially effective against insects as spider mites and ticks in their juvenile and resistant forms.5 For agricultural purposes amitraz is primarily used to control the pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola) on Oregon pear crops and whiteflies and mites on cotton or pear crops.6 It's also applied to pome fruit, citrus fruit, cotton, stone fruit, bush fruit, strawberries, hops, cucurbits, aubergines, capsicums, tomatoes and ornamental plants to control all stages of tetranychid and eriophyid mites, pear suckers, scale insects, mealybugs, whiteflies, aphids and eggs and first instar larvae of lepidoptera.1 To apply amitraz, various techniques can be used as for example an airblast and concentrate spray to pears or by ground boom and aircraft to cotton.8 Territorial differences in amitraz use depend on the species of mites that infest the crops/trees/etc., the local practice and the number and size of the pear trees. An infestation e.g. by Tetranychus spp requires higher rates of amitraz. Taking those factors into consideration the application volumes of amitraz have been standardized in terms of maximum spray concentration and in the rate of amitraz per hectare.6

Besides its application as pesticide on plants, amitraz is also used as an animal ectoparasiticide on cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and dogs.1 Thereby it's exclusively applied externally.9 It achieves special efficiency against mites (first of all Demodex canis), but it also works against lice, flies and all development stages of ticks.1, 9, 10 In combination with additional agents it can be used against flea-infestation as well. 9, 10 For the treatment of dogs amitraz is available as a collar or as a spray- or washsolution and has an immediate effect against tick-infestation as well as a preventive effect. In some countries amitraz-emulsions are also applied to treat Demodicosis of cats or dogs, an exceeding infestation of mites of the family Demodicidae. 9, 10 For the treatment of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs amitraz is available as spray or washsolution, to treat or prevent infestations by mites, lice, flies and ticks. Thereby pigs and cattle should be sprayed and sheep and goats bathed.10 Other animal species as for example horses or Chihuahuas should not be treated with amitraz, because adverse effects may occur. 9, 10