Cloth-dragging is the most widely-used method for collecting and counting ticks, but there are few studies of its reliability. By using cloth-dragging, we applied a replicated line transects survey method, in two areas in Sweden with different Ixodes ricinus tick-densities (low at Grimsö and high at Bogesund) to evaluate developmental stage specific repeatability, agreement and precision in estimates of tick abundance. ‘Repeatability’ was expressed as the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), ‘agreement’ with the Total Deviation Index (TDI) and ‘precision’ by the coefficient of variation (CV) for a given dragging distance. Repeatability (ICC) and agreement (TDI) were higher for the most abundant instar (nymphs) and in the area of higher abundance. At Bogesund tick counts were higher than at Grimsö and so also repeatability, with fair to substantial ICC estimates between 0.22 and 0.75, and TDI ranged between 1 and 44.5 counts of difference (thus high to moderate agreement). At Grimsö, ICC was poor to moderate and ranged between 0 and 0.59, whereas TDI remained low with estimates lower or equal to 1 count (thus high agreement). Despite a 100-fold lower abundance at Grimsö, the same level of precision for nymphs could be achieved with a 70% increase of dragging effort. We conclude that the cloth-dragging technique is useful for surveying ticks’ and primarily to estimate abundance of the nymphal stage, whereas it rarely will be recommended for larvae and adults.

拖布是收集和计算刻度的最广泛使用的方法，但对其可靠性的研究很少。通过使用布料拖曳，我们在瑞典的两个区域使用了重复的线样线调查方法，这两个区域的棉线虫不同密度（格里莫斯（Grimsö）低，博格松德（Bogesund）高），以评估development虫丰度估算中特定于发育阶段的可重复性，一致性和精确度。对于给定的拖动距离，“可重复性”表示为类内相关系数（ICC），与总偏差指数（TDI）的“一致”和由变异系数（CV）的“精度”。对于最丰富的龄期（若虫）和丰度较高的区域，重复性（ICC）和一致性（TDI）较高。在Bogesund剔计数比在Grimsö等也可重复性高，与公平，以实质性的ICC估计0.22和0.75之间，并且TDI差1个44.5计数介于（因此高到中度协议）。在Grimsö，ICC是差到中度和0和0.59之间的范围内，而TDI仍然很低与估计小于或等于1个计数（因此高协议）。尽管Grimsö的丰度降低了100倍，但如果增加70％的拖动力度，就可以实现若虫的相同精度。我们得出的结论是，拖布技术可用于调查tick虫，并且主要用于估计若虫期的丰度，而很少将其推荐用于幼虫和成虫。