Paper Title
Herbal Extracts: An Alternative to Control Cattle Tick Boophilus Microplus (Acari: Ixodidae)

Abstract
Different alcoholic extracts of the whole plant of Sphaeranthus indicus L. was tested for its acaricidal properties against six legged larvae of cattle tick Boophilus microplus. Isopropyl alcoholic extract of S. indicus showed 100% mortality even at lower dilutions of the extract. Both in vivo and invitro acaricidal activity of S. indicus against six legged larvae of cattle tick Boophilus microplus was done. Invivo investigation was done in the Bismi farm Ottappalam taluk for the screening purpose using distilled water as the solvent. While invitro investigation was done in the Research laboratory of Pg & Research Dept. of Zoology, Malabar Christian College,Calicut,Kerala. At present, tick control in India especially Kerala is based on large scale repeated use of synthetic acaricides. Repeated use of synthetic acaricides often results to serious drawbacks including resistance, environmental contamination and even contamination of milk and meat products with insecticide residues. The result of the current study will be helpful in formulating effective and environment safe control strategies using herbal extracts against tick.