A Preliminary Evaluation of Deer Behavior and Nontarget Animal Use Associated with the 4-Poster Tickicide Device on Long Island, New York

The 4-Poster device is a host-applied tick control technology. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are attracted to devices by whole kernel corn, and when feeding, each animal contacts rollers that apply an acaricide to the animal\u27s head and neck. The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), and lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), are both nuisance and medical pests on Long Island, and deer are a keystone host for both species. By targeting adult ticks where they are most commonly found, deer application is highly effective for concentrating acaricide in key target areas, compared to conventional lawn spraying of pesticides. However, attracting deer to baited stations may have negative impacts including: 1) potential damage to vegetation near the deployed stations in both natural and residential settings; 2) possible increases in deer road crossings, leading to more vehicle collisions; 3) increased deer survivorship or fecundity due to supplemental feeding or reduced tick pressure; and 4) impacts of feeding stations on nontarget wildlife. We are completing the first year of a multi-year project, and report nontarget wildlife use at 4-Poster devices, and deer home ranges for areas with, and without 4-Poster feeding stations. These data will provide management information concerning the collateral effects of deploying 4-Poster devices to reduce tick abundance