Mystery Ticks!
This week there was some rain, which limited the days we were able to sample. We try not to drag when the ground vegetation is dewy or wet, since it can dampen the cloth. On days when the conditions were not suitable for sampling, Sierra and I went out and canvassed to recruit residents to the study. This involves using maps to identify properties that may be compatible with our collection methods and then placing a flyer in their mailbox. We are looking for properties that have a heavily forested area bordering their lawn, with no fences or steep elevation changes.
| What is tick dragging?
Tick dragging is a method for collecting ticks that involves dragging a white cloth attached to a wooden rod parallel to the ground. Ticks will attach themselves to the cloth as you drag it along. Every 10 yards or so, we pause to check the cloth for any ticks. |
On the days we were able to get out and sample, we started to steadily find more ticks. At one location, we found a whopping nine of a very small mystery tick. We needed a magnifying glass to even see them clearly, and upon further research, we hypothesize that they are larvae of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. We were not anticipating finding larvae at all, so this came as a big surprise. Tomorrow, we will meet with Joellen Lampman of the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program to confirm if our thoughts are correct!
