Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of meteorological parameters during the preceding fall and winter on the questing activity of nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Biometeorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Wood ticks, Ixodes ricinus L., serve as vectors for various pathogens and are ubiquitous throughout Central Europe. Survival and development of I. ricinus depend on biotic and abiotic factors. We examined whether relative humidity (RH), air (T a ) and soil temperatures (T s ), or snow depth during November through February affect the questing activity of ticks during their subsequent season of activity. We related the number of host-seeking nymphs to meteorological parameters measured in close proximity at minutely intervals over the period of 6 years (2010–2015) in an urban park in Berlin. We defined thresholds at which associations appeared strongest. Although the annual variations in RH, T a , and snow depth were typical of the mid-latitudes, the questing activity of nymphs during their first peak of activity (March through July) varied among the 6 years more than threefold. The accumulated hours of RH below 77% in 2 m height during November through February affected the questing activity of nymphs during the following activity peak. In contrast to T a , accumulated hours of T s below −1 °C in 0.02 m depth or below −4 °C in 0.05 m depth during the preceding period significantly influenced the average number of nymphs questing during spring. Our observations suggest that RH, T s , and snow cover during the preceding months affect the questing activity of nymphal I. ricinus during their first peak of activity. Snow cover serves as an insulator between the atmosphere and soil, which not only stabilizes T s but also appears to protect ticks from exposure to frost and frequent temperature shifts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berger KA, Ginsberg HS, Dugas KD, Hamel LH, Mather TN (2014a) Adverse moisture events predict seasonal abundance of Lyme disease vector ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Parasite Vector 7:181. doi:10.1186/1756-3305-7-181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berger KA, Ginsberg HS, Gonzalez L, Mather TN (2014b) Relative humidity and activity patterns of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). J Med Entomol 51:769–776

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burtis JC, Ostfeld RS, Yavitt JB, Fahey TJ (2016) The relationship between soil arthropods and the overwinter survival of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) under manipulated snow cover. J Med Entomol 53:225–229

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel M, Honzakova E, Cerny V (1972) Overwintering of the tick Ixodes ricinus (L.) under conditions of a field experiment. Folia Parasit 19:305–314

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel M, Maly M, Danielova V, Kriz B, Nuttall P (2015) Abiotic predictors and annual seasonal dynamics of Ixodes ricinus, the major disease vector of Central Europe. Parasite Vector 8:478. doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1092-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dautel H (2010) Zecken und Temperatur. In: Aspöck H (ed) Krank durch Arthropoden. Denisia 30:149–169

  • Dautel H, Knülle W (1997) Cold hardiness, supercooling ability and causes of low-temperature mortality in the soft ticks, Argas reflexus, and the hard tick, Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodoidea) from Central Europe. J Insect Physiol 43:843–854

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dusbabek F, Daniel M, Cerny V (1971) Stratification of engorged Ixodes ricinus larvae overwintering in soil. Folia Parasit 18:261–266

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Groffman PM, Driscoll CT, Fahey TJ, Hardy JP, Fitzhugh RD, Tierney GL (2001) Colder soils in a warmer world: a snow manipulation study in a northern hardwood forest ecosystem. Biogeochemistry 56:135–150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardy JP, Groffman PM, Fitzhugh RD, Henry KS, Welman AT, Demers JD, Fahey TJ, Driscoll CT, Tierney GL, Nolan S (2001) Snow depth manipulation and its influence on soil frost and water dynamics in a northern hardwood forest. Biogeochemistry 56:151–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes LE, Scott JA, Stafford KC (2015) Influences of weather on Ixodes scapularis nymphal densities at long-term study sites in Connecticut. Ticks Tick-borne Dis 6:258–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann C, Gern L (2013) Survival of Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) nymphs under cold conditions is negatively influenced by frequent temperature variations. Ticks Tick-borne Dis 4:445–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knülle W, Rudolph D (1982) Humidity relationships and water balance of ticks. In: Obenchain FD, Galun R (eds) Physiology of ticks. Pergammon Press, Oxford, pp 43–70

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lees AD (1946) The water balance in Ixodes ricinus L. and certain other species of ticks. Parasitology 37:1–20

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lohr B, Müller I, Mai M, Norris DE, Schöffski O, Hunfeld KP (2015) Epidemiology and cost of hospital care for Lyme borreliosis in Germany: lessons from a health care utilization database analysis. Ticks Tick-borne Dis 6:56–62

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luterbacher J, Dietrich D, Xoplaki E, Grosjean M, Wanner H (2004) European seasonal and annual temperature variability, trends and extremes since 1500. Science 303:1499–1503. doi:10.1126/science.1093877

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Müller I, Freitag MH, Poggensee G, Scharnetzky E, Straube E, Schorerner CH, Hlobil H, Hagedorn HJ, Stanek G, Schubert-Unkmeir A, Norris DE, Gensichen J, Hunfeld KP (2012) Evaluating frequency, diagnostic quality and cost of Lyme borreliosis testing in Germany: a retrospective model analysis. Clin Dev Immunol 2912:595427. doi:10.1155/2012/595427

    Google Scholar 

  • R Core Development Team (2008) A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  • Richter D, Matuschka F-R (2011) Differential risk for Lyme disease along hiking trail, Germany. Emerg Infect Dis 17:1704–1706

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers SE, Zolnik CP, Mather TN (2007) Duration of exposure to suboptimal atmospheric moisture affects nymphal blacklegged tick survival. J Med Entomol 44:372–375

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Vries H, Lenderink G, van Meijgaard E (2014) Future snowfall in western and Central Europe projected with a high-resolution regional climate model ensemble. Geophys Res Lett 41:4294–4299

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was conducted in the framework of “MILIEU – Man in Urban Agglomerations – the Influence of Climate and Environmental Issues” funded by the Excellence Initiative of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). We thank Franz-Rainer Matuschka and Uwe Ulbrich for inspiring this study, Christina Kohn for collecting ticks during the first part of the study, and the Botanic Garden Berlin for permitting us to conduct the study on its premises.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Meteorology, Freie Universität Berlin, Carl-Heinrich-Becker-Weg 6-10, 12165, Berlin, Germany

    Ken Vollack, Sahar Sodoudi, Peter Névir & Klaus Müller

  2. Landscape Ecology & Environmental Systems Analysis, Institute of Geoecology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany

    Dania Richter

Authors
  1. Ken Vollack
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sahar Sodoudi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter Névir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Klaus Müller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dania Richter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dania Richter.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals, other than ticks, performed by any of the authors.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(PDF 576 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Vollack, K., Sodoudi, S., Névir, P. et al. Influence of meteorological parameters during the preceding fall and winter on the questing activity of nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks. Int J Biometeorol 61, 1787–1795 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-017-1362-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-017-1362-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation