Use of a silicone membrane feeding technique in the laboratory maintenance of a colony of Ornithodoros moubata.
Adult Ornithodoros moubata from a laboratory colony were fed on mice or through natural or artificial membranes on pig blood. The rate of feeding and its efficiency as assessed by fecundity were markedly superior when membranes rather than live mice were used. Artificial silicone membranes offer major advantages of both convenience and economy over alternative membranes in the maintenance of soft tick colonies.
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008566:Membranes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D051379:Mice; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D013552:Swine; D013987:Ticks; D013997:Time Factors
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D012826:Silicone Elastomers