Tick Dragging Using a Drone

Scientific Achievement

Drones could be an effective alternate method to human tick dragging in grassy areas or similar terrain.

Significance and Impact

This method reduces human-tick interactions and human health risk while allowing effective and efficient tick dragging surveillance.

Research Details

– A quadcopter drone was attached to drag flannel cloth for tick collection over tall grass and non-thorny bushy plants. – The drag pattern consisted of side-by-side drone and personnel drags extending for approximately 250 ft, after which ticks were collected with forceps and placed in collection vials labeled by drag method. – Statistical analysis using chi-square and paired t-tests showed no differences as a function of drag method used.   T. L. Zontek, B. Ogle, R. Hoover, J. T. Jankovic, and S. Hollenbeck, "Tick Dragging: A Drone to Reduce Surveyor Exposure," J. Environ. Health, 82,8 (2020).