Cattle tick zones in Queensland
Zoning is commonly used to manage pest and disease control. Areas are defined by the presence or absence of the pest or disease with set boundaries.
Queensland has 2 cattle tick zones:
- the cattle tick infested zone
- the cattle tick free zone.
The cattle tick infested and cattle tick free zones are separated by the tick line.
The cattle tick infested zone is where cattle ticks are endemic and will thrive if left unmanaged.
The cattle tick free zone is the part of the state where cattle ticks aren’t present. Regulated movement controls for livestock moving into the free area allows the cattle industry to control and limit the spread of cattle tick to minimise the impact on the industry.
Research has shown that temperature and moisture are the key factors for cattle tick survival. In particular, an average rainfall of below 500mm per year limits cattle tick survival and propagation. In the infested zone the environment is supportive of cattle tick survival and ticks are widespread. In the free zone the environment is less supportive of cattle tick survival.