Tick collection criteria

1. Tick collection criteria Project title Michael Cherry| Dr. Ben Clarke| Bridges and Pathways Program 2010

2. Tick Collection • What criteria and procedures should be used when collecting ticks in the ‘wild’?

3. Project Overview • Where ticks are located • Survey techniques should be consistent • Use of standardized equipment • Integrity of Data Collection Criteria and methods of recording

4. Where are ticks located in the midwest? • Near or in deciduous forests • Dry to mesic (moderate moisture) forests • Alfisol-type soils of sandy or loam-sand textures overlying sedimentary rock • Along ecotones (boundaries between varying ecosystems)

5. Alfisol Soils • Alfisols are a soil order in USDA soil taxonomy. Alfisols form in semiarid to humid areas, typically under a hardwood forest cover. They have a clay-enriched subsoil and relatively high native fertility. "Alf" refers to Aluminium (Al) and Iron (Fe). Alfisol from East Tennessee. http://www.uamont.edu/facultyweb/francis/soilprofiles/soilprofilepage.htm

6. Where are ticks not located in the midwest? • Near coniferous forests • Grasslands • Wet and very damp forests • Acidic soils of low fertility and a clay soil texture • Precambrian bedrock

7. Construction of dragging equipment • 70 x 90cm piece of light-colored corduroy • 1cm diameter wooden dowel along leading edge • Steel rod sewn into trailing edge for added weight • Rope or wood handle to allow front edge of ‘sheet’ to contact vegetation

8. Collection Techniques from Schulze/jordan • Same individual should perform the dragging for consistency • Speed, height • Collected hourly from 0600 – 2100 hours • 100m long transects, collect every 10m to prevent ticks from falling off • Ramdomize dragging order, direction of travel, location within each transect (left, right, center) to minimize repeated dragging of same areas • Minimize dew collection by drying on running pickup truck hood • To minimize effects of moisture on tick collection

9. Statistics • For each sampling event (each hour) (use of Weather Station): • Ambient Temperature • Ambient Humidity • Place Weather Station in center of area, 1m above vegetation height • Litter temperature and humidity (digital thermometer) • At least 2.5cm below leaf litter surface but not into the soil

10. Statistical analysis • Use of repeated measures of analysis of variance • Use of multiple linear regression to examine relationships • Use separate regressions for each species • Tolerance value of 0.1 is acceptable • Calculate temp gradient: subtract hourly litter temp from ambient • Calculate humidity gradient: subtract litter H from ambient H • Use Pearson correlation and linear regression to determine relationships between calculated gradients and numbers of questing ticks

11. Conclusion • Consistency regarding the gathering of ticks and in measuring and recording statistics are critical to success

12. Works Cited • Meteorologically Mediated Diurnal Questing of IxodesScapularis and AmblyommaAmericanum Nymphs – Terry Schulze and Robert Jordan Journal of Medical Entomology (2003) • Distribution of the Common Tick, Ixodesricinus, in different vegetation types in Southern Sweden – Anders Lindstrom and Thomas Jaenson, Journal of Medical Entomology (2003)