In Uganda, control of ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) largely depends on the use of chemicals applied using different methods. This cross-sectional study assessed 17 factors to determine the effectiveness and limitations in the use of the recently adopted acaricide application methods on dairy cattle farms in south-western Uganda. The average annual morbidity and mortality due to tick-borne diseases were 42.6% and 30.0% for farms using bucket pumps, 9.3% and 4.2% for those using motorised pumps and 3.0% and 1.0% for spray races, respectively. For a 20-year period, the estimated cost of acaricide application for a herd of 80 head of cattle was US$ 71,042, US$ 38,694 and US$ 28,710 when using a bucket pump, spray race and a motorised pump, respectively. Bucket pump method may only be cost-effective on farms of 40 - 112 head of cattle, while a motorised pump was only economical for farms of 35 - 170 cattle and a spray race being a better option at farms of 100 - 600 cattle. Farmers should make the most appropriate choice of acaricide application method to achieve the most effective control of TTBDs.

Keywords: Effectiveness, Acaricide application methods, tick-borne diseases, Uganda.