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Literature Review
After analyzing patient histories, our investigative team speculates that the tick species Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Ornithodoros coriaceus, and the mosquito species Aedes aegypti are the most probable vectors of disease in these cases. It was found that most of the patients traveled to Mt. Shasta, where both tick species and the mosquito species could have been encountered. Other patients visited 3 C’s Pet Grooming salon where Rhipicephalus sanguineus could have been encountered. One of the most useful trapping methods for both ticks and mosquitoes is the dry ice trap. A study showed the effectiveness of this method in collecting O. coriaceus. This soft tick is widely distributed in California and primarily feeds on deer and free-ranging cattle. The researchers created an improved dry ice method with five compartments that requires minimal effort. Although this method was effective for trapping all stages of O. coriaceus, it was unable to trap R. sanguineus because they quickly escaped (Hokama 1977). An alternative to the dry ice trap is a trap in which CO2 is generated by yeast. However, in a study comparing the two variations of the trap, it was found that the dry ice trap was more successful in attracting mosquitoes than a trap containing a mixture of yeast, sugar, and water (Oli et. al 2005). Mosquito traps can also be purchased and may include a variety of features such as lighting arrays and heat systems (Mosquito World 2016). CO2 traps may also be made from inexpensive materials that can even be found at home. If a two-liter bottle is cut in half, the potion with the funnel can be inverted and secured with tape to the other half of the bottle, creating an area for the mosquitoes to fly into but have difficulty flying out of (Nelson 2015). In addition to the dry ice method, a review compared the effectiveness of trapping with dragging and CO2 flagging. Dragging is a mobile trap unlike dry ice which is stationary. It involves a person dragging a piece of cloth made up of fibers such as cotton or flannel to allow ticks to attach to the cloth. Then the ticks can be removed with forceps and placed in 80% ethanol. One disadvantage to dragging is the person’s risk to tick bites and the time commitment to actively move the trap. These two methods have been combined into a trapping method called CO2 dragging. CO2 takes into account the mobility aspect of dragging and the tick’s chemical response to carbon dioxide stimuli (Mays 2016). Another technique worth mentioning is flagging. Flagging utilizes a cotton flag and waving it over and through higher vegetation. A study conducted to compare the efficiency of trapping from dragging and flagging methods assessed the results for various habitats and seasons. The number of ticks were significantly higher from the use of flagging than from dragging. The flagging method collected more adult ticks in meadows and high-altitude man-made trails, while dragging was more suitable for grassland habitats. In the case of seasonality, more ticks were collected throughout the spring and winter with flagging than with dragging. This is due to the peak quest season being spring and the nature of host questing at taller vegetation during the spring and winter months. The autumn months produced similar tick amounts with both flagging and dragging methods (Torres 2013). Based on this study, flagging combined with CO2 would be the most effective collecting method for ticks living at higher altitudes which is the case for Mt Shasta. The dry-ice dragging method would work best at a setting with grassland vegetation, and an inexpensive CO2 trap is useful for trapping mosquitoes. Both methods will be used because studies have suggested that between flagging and dragging, neither technique is significantly better than the other (Rulison et. al 2013).
Primary Sources:
Hokama, Y., and J. A. Howarth. 1977. Dry-Ice (Co2) Trap for Efficient Field Collection of Ornithodoros Coriaceus (Acarina: Argasidae). Journal of Medical Entomology. 13: 627-628.
Mays, S.E., A.E. Houston, and R.T. Trout Fryxell. 2016. Comparison of novel and conventional methods of trapping ixodid ticks in the southeastern U.S.A. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 30: 123-134.
Oli, K., J. Jeffery, and I. Vythilingam. 2005. A comparative study of adult mosquito trapping using dry ice and yeast generated carbon dioxide. Tropical Biomedicine. 22: 249-251.
Rulison, E.L., I. Kuczaj, G. Pang, G.J. Hickling, J.I. Tsao, and H.S. Ginsberg. 2013. Flagging versus dragging as sampling methods for nymphal Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). Journal of Vector Ecology. 38: 163-167.
Torres, F.D., G. Capelli, R.P. Lia, D. Otranto. 2013. Efficiency of Flagging and Dragging for Tick Collection. EXP APPL ACAROL. 1: 119-127.
Secondary sources:
Mosquito World. 2016. Mosquito Trap Reviews. http://www.mosquitoworld.net/mosquito-control/trap-reviews/
Nelson, S. 2015. DIY: How to get rid of Mosquitoes by Homemade Killer Trap.
http://www.goingevergreen.org/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-mosquitoes-by-homemade-killer-trap.html
Materials and Methods
List of materials needed:
- Dry ice
- Small cooler
- Square white cloth (1m2)
- Forceps
- Collection tubes
- Ethanol
- Corduroy
- Dowel rods
- Carbon dioxide tanks
- Needle
- Rope
- Canvas
- 2-Liter Bottles
Trapping with Dry Ice
Ticks are attracted to carbon dioxide exhaled from a host. Dry ice produces carbon dioxide, simulating carbon dioxide from a host and proving to be an effective trapping method for ticks.
Dry ice traps will consist of small cooler filled with dry ice placed on a square white cloth with each side being 1 meter in length. Leave out overnight and collect ticks the next morning. Remove ticks with forceps and place into a vial of 80% ethanol.
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Dragging
For dragging, a piece of corduroy will be dragged across vegetation and allow ticks to attach on. Tick drags will be created with light colored corduroy sown onto a dowel rod with a diameter of around 30 mm and length of around 120 cm. Attach a rope to either end of the rod for dragging. Create a sweep net from canvas.
For dragging, a piece of corduroy will be dragged across vegetation and allow ticks to attach on. Tick drags will be created with light colored corduroy sown onto a dowel rod with a diameter of around 30 mm and length of around 120 cm. Attach a rope to either end of the rod for dragging. Create a sweep net from canvas.
![Picture](/uploads/8/8/8/1/88810844/pic-3_orig.jpg)
CO2 Dragging
CO2 dragging should be produced the same way as dragging, but with a tube inside the rod with a hose attached to a tank of compressed CO2. Puncture the tube every 10cm with a needle to release the CO2.
CO2 dragging should be produced the same way as dragging, but with a tube inside the rod with a hose attached to a tank of compressed CO2. Puncture the tube every 10cm with a needle to release the CO2.
![Picture](/uploads/8/8/8/1/88810844/pic-4_orig.jpg)
- CO2 Flagging
- -- 3 traps will be placed outside of 3C’s Dog Grooming in Lompoc, CA: 512 N H St, Lompoc, CA 93436.
- -- 2 traps will be placed on Mt. Shasta, CA: 305 N. Mt. Shasta Boulevard Mt. Shasta, California 96067.
- -- 3 traps will be placed anywhere in the city of Janesville, CA around construction sites.