Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Extraction of Saliva, Haemolymph, Salivary Glands, and Midgut from Individual Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)
Published on: October 31, 2025
Effectiveness of tick sampling methods in the field: A systematic scoping review
Raphaëlle Audet-Legault1, Jessica Hainault1, Carol-Ann Desrochers-Plourde1
1Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal et CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Climate change impacts tick populations. This review found no single method effectively samples all questing hard ticks (Ixodidae); a combination of methods is recommended for accurate vector monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Entomology
- Public Health
Background:
- Climate change is expanding tick species' ranges in North America.
- Effective detection and monitoring of tick vector populations are crucial in emerging and endemic areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize sampling methods for questing hard ticks (family Ixodidae).
- To synthesize current knowledge on the effectiveness of different tick sampling techniques.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review of 56 studies published before October 2024.
- Analysis focused on studies conducted in North America and Europe, examining various tick genera (Ixodes, Dermacentor, Amblyomma) and sampling techniques (dragging, flagging, sweeping, CO₂ traps).
Main Results:
- Cloth-based methods (dragging, flagging, sweeping) were common for Ixodes and Dermacentor, while CO₂ traps were frequent for Amblyomma.
- Only seven studies quantified sampling efficiency; a single dragging passage captured approximately 6% of questing nymphs.
- Sampling effectiveness is influenced by technical, environmental (temperature, sampling period), and climatic factors, with methodological variability hindering standardization.
Conclusions:
- No single tick collection method is universally effective; a combination of approaches is likely necessary.
- Evidence-based recommendations for selecting tick sampling methods are provided, considering objectives, tick genus, life stage, and environmental conditions.
