Tick dragging is a method for collecting

tick Ticks (order Ixodida) are parasitic arachnids that are part of the mite superorder Parasitiformes. Adult ticks are approximately 3 to 5 mm in length depending on age, sex, species, and "fullness". Ticks are external parasites, living by ...

s used by parasitologists and other researchers studying tick populations in the wild. Tick dragging

Method

To conduct a tick drag, a researcher uses a strip of white cloth, usually

corduroy Corduroy is a textile with a distinctively raised "cord" or wale texture. Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel (bare to the base fabric) between them. Both velvet and corduroy derive from fu ...

, mounted on a pole that is tied to a length of rope. The researcher drags the cloth behind themselves through terrain that is suspected of harboring ticks, working in a grid-like pattern. They may also "flag" low-lying bushes and other vegetation by waving the cloth over them. Tick dragging is one of several methods of harvesting wild ticks for study in the lab. In at least one trial, the tick dragging method proved more successful than more technologically innovative techniques, such as live-baited traps and CO₂-baited traps. The dragging method is a useful way to collect ticks from a large area; CO₂ trapping is another method for localized sampling of ticks. Different species of tick also have variable sensitivity or responsiveness to this form of trapping, so its effectiveness can vary with the species of tick the researcher is interested in sampling. The dragging method have been tested for its repeatability and reliability.^{/sup> It was concluded that the cloth-dragging technique is useful both for surveying ticks' and to estimate and compare abundance between years and areas.^{/sup>

History

The practice of dragging a large white cloth across suspected tick-infested terrain is described in biological field guides from the early 20th century. More sophisticated methods have been developed, but the dragging method continues to be practised by researchers today.

See also

* Insect trap

Insect traps are used to monitor or directly reduce populations of insects or other arthropods, by trapping individuals and killing them. They typically use food, visual lures, chemical attractants and pheromones as bait and are installed so that ...

* Sweep net

Insect collecting refers to the collection of insects and other arthropods for scientific study or as a hobby. Most insects are small and the majority cannot be identified without the examination of minute morphological characters, so entomol ...

References

6. Kjellander, PL., Aronsson, M., Bergvall, UA., Carrasco, JL. Christensson, M., Lindgren, PE., Åkesson, M. & Kjellander, P. 2020. Validating a common tick survey method: cloth‑dragging and line transects. Experimental and Applied Acarology. doi: 10.1007/s10493-020-00565-4

Parasitology
Ticks

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