How to Draw Blood From a Tick for Microscope Use

Ticks transmit the bacteria that produce Lyme disease, babesiosus and erlichiosis in both humans and animals. Typically, all three diseases occur primarily in the heavily wooded areas of the upper Midwestern U.S. and the Eastern coastal states. The New York State Department of Health maintains that it is possible for someone to become infected with one or two of the diseases at the same time. In animals, veterinarians may need to analyze the blood contents of the tick to determine if any of the diseases are present.

Things You'll Need

• Laboratory gloves
• 22- or 25-gauge needle
• 1 cc syringe
• Tweezers or locking forceps
• Microscope slide
• Microscope slip

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Instructions

• 1

  Wear laboratory gloves to perform this procedure in order to avoid getting infected.

• 2

  Put a 22- or 25-gauge needle onto a 1 cc syringe and remove the cap.

• 3

  Grasp the head of the tick with a pair of tweezers or locking forceps in your non-dominant hand.

• 4

  Stick the needle gently into the body of the tick and pull back slowly on the syringe's plunger. You should see a drop of blood draw up into the needle's hub.

• 5

  Push down on the plunger and place the drop of blood onto a clean, sterile microscope slide. Cover the blood with a glass slip.