How to keep a tick alive for analysis? - briefly
Maintain high humidity (80‑90 % RH) at 20‑25 °C and supply a fresh blood source or host, keeping ticks in a sealed container with a damp substrate such as cotton or plaster of Paris. Check moisture daily and refresh the blood supply to preserve viability for weeks.
How to keep a tick alive for analysis? - in detail
Collect ticks using fine‑point tweezers or a soft brush, avoiding crushing. Place each specimen in a breathable vial (e.g., a 15 ml screw‑cap tube with a piece of fine mesh) to permit gas exchange while preventing escape.
Maintain relative humidity between 80 % and 95 %. Achieve this by adding a saturated salt solution (e.g., potassium nitrate) or a moist cotton ball to the vial, ensuring the tick does not sit in liquid water. Check moisture daily and replace if drying occurs.
Keep temperature at 20–25 °C (68–77 °F). Use an incubator or a controlled‑environment chamber; avoid temperature fluctuations greater than ±2 °C, which can stress the arthropod.
Provide a blood source if the tick species requires a blood meal for survival. Options include:
- Parafilm‑sealed membrane feeding system with warmed defibrinated blood.
- Live host (rodent, rabbit) housed in a secure containment cage, following institutional animal‑care protocols.
- Artificial diet capsules containing glucose, ATP, and salts, sealed to prevent contamination.
Monitor tick activity twice daily. Remove dead individuals promptly to prevent microbial growth. Clean vials with 70 % ethanol between uses, allowing them to dry completely before re‑introduction.
For transport to another laboratory, place ticks in a portable cooler maintaining the same temperature range, with a humidified environment (e.g., damp paper towel in a sealed container). Label each vial with species, collection date, and any treatment details.
Record all environmental parameters (humidity, temperature, feeding schedule) in a logbook or digital spreadsheet. Consistent documentation enables reproducibility and accurate interpretation of subsequent analyses.