Cattle tick movement regulations

Cattle ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) species, are a serious economic pest of Queensland's cattle industry. If left unchecked, they can significantly reduce cattle live-weight gain and milk production. Heavy infestation can cause death due to tick worry and blood loss.

They can also transmit blood-borne tick fever organisms, which cause sickness and death in cattle. Learn more about tick fever in cattle.

Cattle are the main hosts for cattle ticks although they can also infest other species such as buffalo, sheep, horses, goats, camels, alpacas, llamas, vicuña, guanacos and deer.

Other ticks that may be commonly found on cattle in Queensland are scrub ticks and New Zealand cattle (or bush) ticks.

Read an overview of cattle ticks in Queensland.

Tick zones

Queensland is divided into 2 cattle tick zones:

  • the Queensland cattle tick infested zone
  • the Queensland cattle tick free zone.

View a map of cattle tick free and infested zones.

All livestock must be free of cattle tick before entering the free zone. When moving livestock between zones there are risk minimisation requirements that must be met as per the biosecurity manual (PDF, 1MB). The transporting livestock between cattle tick zones guide covers this in detail.

You must report any cattle ticks found in the Queensland cattle tick free zone to Biosecurity Queensland.

Also consider...

  • Last reviewed: 1 Jul 2016
  • Last updated: 1 Jul 2016