How to get a tick's legs? - briefly
Use fine‑point tweezers to grasp the tick as close to its head as possible and pull straight upward with steady pressure; the legs will remain attached to the body as it comes off. Isolating the legs alone is not feasible without removing the entire organism.
How to get a tick's legs? - in detail
To detach the legs of a tick for scientific or educational purposes, follow a controlled, sterile procedure that minimizes damage to the specimen and reduces health risks.
First, secure personal protection. Wear nitrile gloves, a lab coat, and safety goggles. Conduct the work in a biosafety cabinet or under a dissecting microscope to contain any potential pathogens.
Second, prepare the tools. Required items include:
- Fine-tipped forceps (e.g., Dumont #5)
- Micro‑scissors or a scalpel with a #10 blade
- Petri dish containing a drop of sterile saline
- Dissection microscope (10–40× magnification)
- Labeled container for the extracted legs
Third, immobilize the tick. Place the arthropod dorsal side up in the saline drop to keep it hydrated and prevent movement. Use the forceps to gently hold the body, applying minimal pressure to avoid crushing.
Fourth, locate the leg attachment points. Under the microscope, identify the coxae at the base of each of the eight legs. Position the micro‑scissors at the junction between the coxa and the trochanter.
Fifth, execute the cut. Apply a clean, swift incision with the scissors, separating each leg from the body. Immediately transfer the detached leg to the labeled container using the forceps. Repeat for all eight legs, maintaining a consistent orientation to aid later identification.
Sixth, preserve the legs. Add a few drops of 70 % ethanol to the container, label with species, date, and collector, then store at 4 °C. For molecular analyses, replace ethanol with a suitable buffer (e.g., TE or RNAlater) according to downstream protocols.
Seventh, decontaminate. Immerse all instruments in 10 % bleach for 10 minutes, then rinse with distilled water and sterilize in an autoclave. Dispose of gloves and any waste in biohazard bags.
By adhering to these steps, researchers obtain intact tick legs while maintaining specimen integrity and laboratory safety.