How can I collect ticks in grass? - briefly
Use a fine‑mesh drag or tick‑flag to sweep the grass, then transfer the attached ticks into a vials containing ethanol. Wear gloves and long sleeves to prevent personal bites while collecting.
How can I collect ticks in grass? - in detail
Collecting ticks from grassy habitats requires systematic preparation, protective measures, and proper handling to ensure reliable samples and personal safety.
Begin with personal protection. Wear long sleeves, long trousers tucked into socks, and closed shoes. Apply a permethrin‑treated clothing spray and use an EPA‑registered tick repellent on exposed skin. Perform a thorough body inspection after each session, removing any attached specimens with fine‑point tweezers.
Select appropriate tools. A white cloth or fine‑mesh flag (approximately 1 m²) attached to a pole facilitates visual detection. A portable aspirator or a small vacuum with a fine filter can capture unattached ticks without crushing them. For preservation, carry vials containing 70 % ethanol, labeled with date, location, and collector’s name.
Follow a standardized sampling protocol.
- Site assessment – Identify a homogeneous grass patch, record GPS coordinates, and note vegetation height, moisture, and recent weather conditions.
- Flagging – Drag the white cloth across the grass surface, keeping it in contact with vegetation. Inspect the cloth every 10 m; transfer any attached ticks into ethanol vials using tweezers.
- Aspirating – Position the aspirator nozzle just above the grass blade, activate suction for 2–3 seconds, then release collected material into a labeled container.
- Quadrat sampling (optional) – Place a 0.25 m² frame on the ground, collect all ticks within the area by hand or with a fine brush, and preserve as described.
- Documentation – Record the number of ticks per method, developmental stage (larva, nymph, adult), and species if identifiable in the field.
After collection, store vials upright in a cooler (4–10 °C) until they can be transferred to a laboratory freezer (‑20 °C) for long‑term storage. Maintain a chain‑of‑custody log to track each sample.
Legal considerations vary by jurisdiction; verify permits for wildlife sampling and adhere to institutional biosafety guidelines. Dispose of used gloves, cloths, and waste according to hazardous material protocols to prevent accidental release of pathogens.
By adhering to these steps, researchers obtain representative tick specimens from grassy environments while minimizing health risks and ensuring data integrity.