Sampling of Lone Star Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae): Dry Ice Quantity and Capture Success1

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Abstract
A seasonal test (April to September) of dry ice quantities required to stimulate lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.), nymphs and adults in wooded habitat showed that it is possible to use smaller cubes (113 g) rather than larger cubes without loss of trapping efficiency. Although 340-g cubes produced nearly twice as much CO2 as the smaller cubes, no difference in tick capture was noted except in April, when fewer adults were captured with the smaller cubes. In wooded habitat, recapture of released ticks was low. Ticks released in the four cardinal directions from the dry ice on cloth panels were recovered as follows after 1 h: larvae <0.1% from 1.5 m, nymphs 1.4% from 9.3 m, males 2.5% from 9.3 m, and females 1.7% from 9.3 m. Additional sampling time (2 to 4 h) improved capture success for all stages. Capture success was very dependent on the distance the ticks were released from the dry ice.

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