Multimodal approach to treatment for control of fur mites

Ectoparasites pose numerous research, health, and management problems for researchers and institutions. Our facility management experience was complicated by recurrence of murine fur mite (Radfordia affinis) infestation after several rounds of single-mode fur mite treatment with dichlorvos in the cage bedding. Subsequently, we successfully eradicated the fur mites using a multidrug therapeutic protocol. Over an 8-wk treatment period, 2 applications of topical selamectin were administered in conjunction with amitraz- and fipronil-treated nestlets changed weekly. Mice tolerated the therapy well with no side effects noted, and to date there has been no recrudescence. To our knowledge, this report is the first to describe combined use of these specific therapeutic agents to control fur mite infestation in laboratory mice.