Quails are omnivores, so they eat a variety of things which includes bugs like ticks.
Their consumption of ticks is so notorious that many people and communities use them for tick control.
Quails consume a tremendous amount of ticks, so they are considered natural control of tick infestation. Since quails are mostly ground birds, they tend to dig around in the ground and consume ticks.
They are often referred to as ground hunters and are used by towns and farms to fight infestations of ticks.
Do quails eat ticks?
Yes, quails eat ticks. They have a large appetite for ticks, so they tend to consume large amounts of ticks.
Their consumption of ticks is so notorious that quails are sometimes raised to combat the infestation of ticks.
You must have noticed that some towns use quails in their fight against Lyme disease; this is because ticks are vectors of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Ticks also have Nutritional benefits to quails, and they’re high in protein.
Related: Here is an article I wrote on the types of vegetables that are good for quails
What exactly are ticks? And what are the dangers they pose?
Ticks are bugs; they are tiny arachnids that are popular as parasites and pests.
They have a complicated life cycle that they cannot complete without consuming blood. This is why it is said that ticks require blood meals for survival.
Scientifically ticks are classified as spiders in the Arachnida family.
They have been around for over ninety million years and have over seven hundred species all over the world.
We, however, know only two species that transmit illnesses to humans, is the soft and the hard tick.
All over the world, these ticks cause various diseases. However, most of their bites do not transfer dangerous micro-bacteria that can infect humans with diseases.
We still have numerous diseases that are transmitted by ticks.
The symptoms of these diseases are varied and can surface from days to weeks after being bitten by ticks.
We advise that if you are bitten by ticks, you should clean the bite and apply antibiotic cream to the bite spot.
You cannot really tell if a tick bite will transmit one of the diseases that are transmitted by ticks to you; you can only try to take preventive measures like controlling the population of ticks in the environment or applying antibiotic creams to the bite spot.
However, below are a number of diseases and illnesses caused by tick bites.
- Tuleremia.
- Anaplasmosis.
- Colorado tick fever.
- Powassan encephalitis.
- Babesiosis.
- Ehrlichiosis.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
- Lyme disease.
- Heartland virus disease.
- Tick-borne relapsing fever.
- Q fever.
- Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).
- Bourbon virus disease.
The symptoms of tick-related diseases tend to be like flu symptoms, which include:
- Nausea.
- Weakness.
- Fever.
- Palpitations.
- Vomiting.
- Rash.
- Swelling.
- Confusion.
- Joint pain.
- Numbness.
These symptoms are not exclusively related to tick-like diseases, so do not assume that just because you were bitten by a tick and you have any of these symptoms, you have a tick-related disease.
It is, however, important that you get checked whenever you have any of these symptoms.
How can quails help get rid of ticks?
Quails consume a great number of ticks because they seem to have an insatiable appetite for ticks and are ground hunters.
The combination of these and other things make quails a great way of naturally controlling tick infestations.
Quails can be used as a preventive weapon in fighting Lyme disease that is caused by tick bites.
Are quails immune to ticks?
Quails are not immune to tick bites; ticks will suck the blood of any animal they can latch on.
Quails just happen to be great at consuming ticks.
How many quails do I need for tick control?
The number of quails you would need to effectively control tick in a given landmass depends on the expanse of land in question.
Ten quails An acre of land would be ideal for managing tick infestation.
Can quails get Lyme disease from eating ticks?
Quails can not get Lyme disease from eating ticks, and it would take an Introduction of the microbes that cause Lyme disease into the bloodstream to cause Lyme disease.
When quails eat ticks, the ticks are digested and don’t directly get into the bloodstream to cause Lyme disease.
To transmit the disease, the tick has to attach itself to the animal for over 24 hours to transfer the bacteria of Lyme Disease.
What can other birds get rid of ticks?
There are a number of birds that consume ticks and could help you get rid of ticks.
These birds include chickens and guinea fowls.
There are a number of people that use guineas, fowls, and chickens to control tick infestation; they are pets and have a number of economic uses.
1. Chickens
We all know that chickens are popular for a number of reasons; they are a good source of eggs and meat.
They are good as pets And also as pest control; they consume ticks and could be used to control an infestation of ticks.
Chickens are omnivorous, so they eat a variety of things which include bugs; there is no shortage of the economic value of chickens.
Using them as a natural control for ticks is a way of using the chicken to prevent diseases like Lyme disease.
They are ground eaters and tend to roam around in the yard; as they roam around, they pick bugs and other things and consume.
2. Guinea Fowls
Guinea fowls are relatively easy to train, they don’t require much, and they give a lot more value than you think.
You can trace their origin to Africa; they are very strong birds that have been domesticated all over the world.
A lot of people treat them as pets, but they also have economic value. They’re a great source of egg and meat.
Guinea fowls tend to roam and eat as they roam; their diet consists of a variety of things, including bugs like ticks.
So while Guinea fowls roam about in your compound, they feed on ticks.
As they roam about, they actively scout for insects to snack on, and ticks happen to be one of their favorites.
So if you have Guinea fowls on your farm, it could be on your way to solving your tick problem.
3. Peacock
This is also one of the birds that consume ticks; they are very good at controlling ticks.
They are also ground eaters that roam about seeking food.
They tend to pick and eat bugs from the ground; ticks happen to be one of the bugs that they like to consume.
They are delicious and nutritious.
4. Pigeon
You can find pigeons anywhere and virtually everywhere; one thing we don’t know about them is that they are good at pest control.
If you have a nest of pigeons, you could be on your way to getting rid of the tick infestation in your compound.
Pigeons are not complicated to take care of, so it is not difficult for you to use them.
Conclusion
Ticks can cause a lot of diseases and their food to certain birds like quails.
We hope That with the information you have gotten from this article, you’ll be able to use quails as effective control of ticks on your farm.
