Cowdriosis and anaplasmosis are most important tick‐borne rickettsial diseases of ruminants. After a short introduction, in particular of their aetiology, epidemiology and diagnosis, present methods and future prospects for their control are briefly reviewed. The value and disadvantages of the four possible approaches, chemotherapy, tick control, the utilisation of inverse age‐resistance in order to attain endemic stability, and artificial immunisation, are reviewed. Promising future developments in the field of immunisation are indicated.