acaricide

Any chemical that kills mites and ticks, which parasitize either plants or animals. Many insecticides have acaricidal activity.

To control diseases like scab in sheep, a regular control programme is necessary in which sheep are dipped in an acaricide, such as gamma benzenehexachloride. Some mites produce galls on plants, for example, big bud of blackcurrants; the fungicide lime sulphur is used as the acaricide for this infestation. Conventional insecticides can be used to control other mite pests of plants, such as the red spider mites of apple and tomato.

Cattle in the tropics are usually plagued by ticks, which are both irritating and debilitating on their own, and also transmit virus diseases to both animals and man. They can be controlled by very frequent dips or sprays.