Tick Kits!

Last week the team was hard at work putting together tick kits! 

 

We assembled over 50 tick kits last week and will make more when supplies come in. If you are in the Minnesota area and want to send in ticks that you find you can either request a tick kit which comes with identification cards, a tick removal key, helpful information on ticks and their diseases courtesy of Medline Plus, as well as a small sample baggie and return envelope.

Alternatively, you can add hand sanitizer to a Ziplock bag and mail your ticks to us. Just be sure to include where and when you found your tick. You can address your ticks to:

Ixodes Outreach Project

University of Minnesota Duluth

Department of Biomedical Sciences/SMed 332

1035 University Drive

Duluth, MN 55812

More information on our tick kits is available at our website

Thank you to Katelyn France, Andrea Hille, and Zoe Quinn for helping to assemble the tick kits!

Post by: M. Bergquist

Ticks spotted in Carlton County, Minnesota

 If you are in Carlton County, Minnesota, be advised, the ticks are out!  

Two were found on a dog Sunday, April 21st near Cromwell, and an individual in Carlton reported finding ticks last week as well!

If you find a tick and would like to submit it to the Ixodes Outreach Project to use in our research you can write us to request a free tick kit.  Kits come with a tick ID card, a tick removal key, and specimen submission materials.  Send your request by email to us at:

ixodesoutreach@gmail.com.

Or simply place the tick in a Ziploc-style baggie and mail it to us via USPS at:  

Ixodes Outreach Project

1035 University Drive

Duluth, MN  55812

Attn:  SMed 332

When submitting a tick, please indicate where the tick was found, the date it was found, whether it was attached to a person or animal and, if you would like to receive additional information, please provide your name, mailing address &/or email.

IOP thanks you, community contributors!

 

2020 Ixodes Outreach Project Report

Community Contributions

 

    One of our projects at the IOP is to create a story map that documents where ticks are being found.  Thanks to our community contributors in 2020 we collected 152 ticks from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.  Ticks were primarily Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor variabilis adults, but we did receive three I. scapularis nymphs from Minnesota.

    Eventually, tick submissions will be "pinned" to our story map so the community can see geographically where these ticks were found.  You can check out the 2018/2019 tick data on our story map here.

    These ticks are currently chilling at a frosty -80 degrees Celsius.  But, during the next several months our team of seven undergraduate researchers will be using them in several projects.  Some ticks will be tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, while others may be used in tests designed to investigate the variety of microorganisms inside the tick gut.  Studying the array of microorganisms inside the gut of the tick may help scientists better understand what competition or advantages await B. burgdorferi bacteria after being ingested during a bloodmeal.  It may also give insight into the risk of co-infection in humans and domestic animals as the result of a tick bite.  Some ticks may also be used for practicing and refining lab techniques or for other teaching purposes.

    No matter how these ticks are ultimately used, it is all possible due to the efforts of our community contributors, so hats off to you all!  

    With our thanks,

The Ixodes Outreach Project team

 

 

 

If you would like to submit tick specimens please seal your tick(s) in a Ziploc style baggie and mail them to:  

Ixodes Outreach Project
University of Minnesota Duluth
Department of Biomedical Sciences/SMed 332
1035 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812

 

Post by C.Fisher

Help the Ixodes Outreach Project montior ticks!

The Ixodes Outreach Project needs your help to build our Tick Bank.  We use ticks for a variety of teaching and research applications.  We also are interested in recording where ticks are being found.  So, please send us ticks you come across on you, your family or your pets.  You can contact us for a free Tick Kit with supplies and directions for submitting your specimens.  Using the kit is super easy!

To request a kit simply write to us stating you would like to request a Tick Kit.  Be sure to include your name and mailing address.  At certain times of the year our staff may be busy in the field or the lab, please know we will process your request as soon as possible, but it may take a few weeks to receive your kit.

Email us at:

ixodesoutreach@d.umn.edu 

in the subject heading type Tick Kit Request.

Or write to us by USPS mail at:

University of Minnesota Duluth
Ixodes Outreach Project
1035 University Dr.
Duluth, MN  55812
Attn: SMed 332

You can also submit ticks without the use of a Tick Kit.  To do so, please put ticks inside a Ziploc style baggie.  If possible, include a small squirt of hand-sanitizer gel and coat the tick with the gel.  This will help preserve the tick during transit and reduce bacterial growth in the bag.  However, we can still used specimens sent without.  We would prefer you do not tape ticks, they can be difficult to remove from tape.

In your tick submission please include the following:

• Your name and address so we can follow up with you if necessary.
• The location of where you found the tick.  If you know coordinates, feel free to send them, but if you do not, please try to be specific as to city, county and state.
• The date when you found the tick.
• Weather conditions, if known.
• Optional: description of the terrain where tick was picked up (grass land, deciduous woods, near a wood pile, etc.)
• Indicate whether it was attached to a person, dog, cat, horse, etc. or whether it was found unattached.
  

Mail ticks by USPS to the address provided above.

Please note:  We cannot provide timely diagnostic services on ticks.  If you are submitting a tick that has bitten you, your family or pet and are concerned about the risk of contacting a tick-borne illness, such as Lyme disease, please contact your physician or veterinarian.  We will try to notify you of the results of testing on your specimens, but we cannot guarantee how long it may take for specimens to be tested.  Some specimens may be used for teaching/training or other research purposes and not be tested.