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	Ticks

Insect and Tick Identification Resources

The increased interest in the natural world and the spread of lyme disease has increased the desire on the part of people to identify the ticks they may be horrified to find on themselves after being outdoors. The Cooperative Extension of the University of New Hampshire is prepared to help. They offer a service of insect and tick identification. Information on how to proceed can be obtained on their website: www.ceinfo.unh.edu/Agric/AGPDTS/ArthroID.htm along with forms to submit an insect, tick, or other arthropod for identification. If you have questions or do not have web access, call the Plant Biology Department at 603-862-3200 and talk to the secretary for the University of New Hampshire entomologists. If you use their services, be prepared to pay a small fee.

The Cooperative Extension web site also has an online publication with excellent information about ticks, ceinfo.unh.edu/Pubs/HGPubs/TicksNH.pdf, including color photographs. (Other useful information about Home and Garden subjects is also available on the Corporate Extension web page ceinfo.unh.edu/Pubs/PubsHG.htm.)

Tick identification is also available at the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food Division of Plant Industry, State Lab Building, Lab D, 6 Hazen Drive, Concord NH 03301. Their telephone number is 271-2561. If you decide to mail the tick to them rather than deliver it to their door, please place it in a 70% or higher alcohol solution and use a crush-proof container. There is no charge for this service. Keep in mind that although they are able to identify whether it is a dog or deer tick, they do not test for lyme disease.