Tick infestations of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus cause significant economic losses in the Philippine cattle industry through reduced productivity and disease transmission, while increasing acaricide resistance necessitates alternative control methods. This study evaluated the acaricidal efficacy of ethanolic extracts from Betel nut (Areca catechu) and Madre de Cacao (Gliricidia sepium) against R. (B.) microplus using a Complete Randomized Design with five treatments and three replications. Madre de Cacao extract demonstrated superior efficacy, achieving 63.33-73.33% mortality within 3 hours and 100% mortality by 24 hours at both 10ml/L and 15ml/L concentrations, significantly outperforming both Betel nut extract (66.67-70% mortality by 48 hours) and commercial control (66.67% at 48 hours). Phytochemical analysis revealed that Madre de Cacao contained tannins and saponins, while Betel nut contained tannins and alkaloids, explaining their differing efficacy profiles. The rapid action and complete tick elimination by Madre de Cacao extract demonstrates its potential as an effective, sustainable alternative to conventional acaricides for managing tick infestations in cattle production, particularly valuable in tropical regions where tick populations thrive and resistance to chemical acaricides is prevalent.
