Yuliia Skrypniuk - Week 6 with DNREC Fish and Wildlife Division

 It’s hard to believe week six has already come and gone! This week gave me even more insight into the work we do at DNREC and some surprising facts that I’ll definitely never forget.

On Monday, we went out in the morning to drag for ticks at three different parks. In the afternoon, we stayed indoors since it started to rain. We used that time to identify the ticks we had just collected and also picked up some additional samples from local veterinary clinics. One thing that really stood out to me this week was just how tiny tick larvae are. When they get on the flag, they’re so small they almost look like ground black pepper sprinkled across the fabric. It’s very easy to miss them, so checking the flag thoroughly is super important. The tricky part is that when larvae are present, there’s usually a lot of them grouped together—making it both interesting and challenging to collect.

On Tuesday, we headed back down to Sussex County to continue our regular tick collections at two of our usual parks. It was another good day of fieldwork—hot, but manageable. The repetition of visiting these parks helps us notice changes in tick populations, which is important for monitoring trends over time.

Wednesday was an exciting change of pace—we went to Dover to spray mosquito hot spots in the marshes. I had the chance to ride along with someone who has worked in DNREC’s mosquito control team for over 30 years. It was amazing to talk with him and learn from his experience. During our conversation, I asked something I had always been curious about: What happens when mosquitoes are ready to lay eggs, but there’s no water around? His answer shocked me—they lay eggs anyway, often in slightly damp places, and just wait. The eggs can survive for months or even years, just waiting for the right conditions (like rain or flooding) to hatch. That blew my mind! It shows how tough mosquitoes really are and why managing their breeding grounds is so important. When we arrived at the marshes, we did find some larvae, so we treated the area with larvicide to stop them before they could grow up and start biting.

On Thursday, we checked on some midge traps that had been set up the week before. Each trap was equipped with a timer and collecting jars filled with 75% ethanol to preserve the insects. We visited three different sites to inspect and replace the jars. While we were still in the Dover area, we also picked up a light trap that had been set overnight to collect mosquitoes. It’s interesting to see how many tools and techniques are used to track and manage different insect species.

On Friday, we spent the morning indoors identifying ticks again—especially larval stages, which are still everywhere lately. Picking them off the flag takes more time now because there are so many, but I’m getting better at spotting and sorting them quickly. In the afternoon, we attended a webinar with Dr. Ben Beard, the Principal Deputy Director of the CDC’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases. He shared insights about his career and the current state of vector-borne disease research. It was fascinating to hear directly from someone at the CDC and made me think more about how this internship experience connects to bigger national and global health issues.

Overall, this week was full of meaningful conversations, new facts, and lots of tiny bugs—whether it was ticks, midges, or mosquitoes. I’m starting to see how all the different pieces of the work we do fit together, and I’m excited to keep learning as the summer goes on.