This was the last week of tick identifications in the lab! We received many live Asian longhorned ticks, and gave 24 to someone in the lab studying tick circadian rhythms.
After the ticks are dead, it’s important to keep them cold to preserve any pathogens they could be carrying. We are planning to test some of the ticks for viruses and other pathogens later in the fall, and are trying to keep the specimens as intact as possible until then. These dog ticks are in a petri dish on ice while I record their information to keep them cold while they’re out of the freezer.