Diel and seasonal activity and trapping of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in Northern Virginia, USA

The effectiveness of various trap intervals (two, four, six, eight, sixteen and twenty-four hours) for collecting ticks was compared for different times of the day throughout a one-year period. A total of 9,508 ticks [Amblyomma americanum (L.), Amblyomma maculatum Koch, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), Ixodes scapularis Say; (Acari: Ixodidae)] were collected on carbon dioxide baited traps. The eight-hour (8:00-16:00 h) trapping interval caught the most ticks. Amblyomma americanum nymphs and adults as well as I. scapularis nymphs were most common in May, while I. scapularis adults were collected most often during the winter months. Peak A. americanum activity shifted from midday to morning during the warmest months of the year.