A comparison of tick collection materials and methods in Southeastern Virginia

In field studies of tick ecology, observed patterns may be biased by
sampling methods. Results can vary by species, life stage, and habitat,
and understanding these biases will improve comparisons of data across
studies as well as assessment of human disease risk. A direct comparison
of flagging versus dragging was conducted in southeastern Virginia.
Transects were surveyed over a six-week period to identify differences in
species and life stage collected, as well as differences between
corduroy and denim material and inspection method for drags. Flagging
collected more Ixodes affinis Neumann (Acari:
Ixodidae) adults
and Amblyomma americanum L. (Acari:
Ixodidae) adults than dragging. Ground inspection was
more efficient than tree inspection for collection
of I. affinis adults, with no significant
difference in inspection method for any other species or life stage.
Corduroy was found to be more effective than denim in collecting
nymphal A. americanum, although this may be an
artifact of three large samples for corduroy collection of these ticks.
There was no significant difference in Ixodes
scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) collection in any
comparison. Dragging, tree inspection, and denim were not found to be more
efficient in any scenario. This is the first comparison of flagging and
dragging conducted in the southeastern United States. The community
composition of ticks in this region greatly differs from regions where
studies of these commonly used sampling techniques have been conducted. As
the distributions of ticks continues to change over time, it will be
important to evaluate best practices annually.