In Tick Management, Species Matters
One key factor plays a role in how well any particular tick-management method might work: Which tick species is it best suited for? A new guide in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management reviews research on tick management tools and their effectiveness on three tick species: the blacklegged tick, the lone star tick, and the American dog tick.
Landscape Terrain Provides New Angle for Measuring Tick Abundance
A study of lone star ticks in the forested Missouri Ozarks found that nymphs and adults were more abundant in valleys and on north-facing hills than in other areas. Meanwhile, nymphs appeared less often in the areas of greater temperature variability, while adults were less prevalent with increased elevation.
Reporting Tick Bites to Public Health Agencies Helps ID Risk Areas for Lyme Disease
A study in Quebec highlights the value of reporting tick bites and submitting tick specimens to public health agencies. Such "passive surveillance" outpaces field collection of ticks in identifying areas of emerging risk for Lyme disease.
Lone Star Ticks: Not Guilty in Spread of Lyme Disease
A new review of 30 years' worth of research concludes that, while lone star ticks are guilty of transmitting bacteria that cause several human illnesses, Lyme disease is not one of them.
An Up-Close Look at the Tiny Sensory Pits That Ticks Use to Smell
A new study in the Journal of Medical Entomology offers the best look yet at the Haller's organ, a small sensory pit on the forelegs of ticks that they use to detect heat and chemical odors emitted by potential hosts.
Why the Variety of Tick Hosts in Your Back Yard Might Be a Good Thing
A new study in Connecticut finds that residential habitats harbor a greater diversity of animal hosts for blacklegged ticks, many of which don't transmit the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi to ticks as well as white-footed mice do, thereby leading to lower levels of the pathogen's presence in residential areas compared to woodland habitats.
The Current State of Integrated Tick Management
If you read the news, it can be easy to wonder why it seems like we’re losing the war against ticks and the diseases they transmit. Why, exactly, are ticks […]
Could Reducing Deer Populations Reduce Lyme Disease?
Reduction in deer populations won't prevent Lyme Disease, but can reduce the risk
CDC Study Sheds Light on New Lyme Disease-Causing Bacteria
A new species of bacteria that causes Lyme disease needs the same amount of time for transmission after a tick bite compared to previously implicated bacteria, according to new research […]
Tick Tock: Fat Reserves in Blacklegged Ticks Provide a Life-Expectancy Clock
The winter of 2011-2012 was a mild one in the New York City area, and the following summer saw the lowest population density of nymphal blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in […]
Ticks: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Dab Their Animal Hosts With Insecticide
An emerging tool in the fight against tick-borne disease, host-targeted bait boxes employ a sneaky trick: turning some of ticks’ favorite carriers —small mammals like mice and chipmunks —against them. […]
Scientists Have Sequenced the Genome of the Tick that Transmits Lyme Disease
An international team of scientists led by Purdue University has sequenced the genome of the tick that transmits Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne illness in North America. Ixodes scapularis, […]
Ticks that Transmit Lyme Disease Reported in 48.6% of U.S. Counties
By Hannah Foster Lyme disease is a potentially debilitating disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is spread to humans by two tick varieties: the blacklegged tick (Ixodes […]
TickSpotters Can Help You Identify Ticks and Learn How to Protect Yourself
By Hannah Foster Oh no! You’ve found a tick! Who ya gonna call? TICKSPOTTERS! Maybe ticks haven’t started popping up in your neighborhood yet, but they probably will soon. That’s […]
Mice Aren’t Nice, They Help Transmit Lyme Disease
The transmission cycle of Lyme disease explained, with a few tips to avoid ticks
CDC Estimates 300,000 Lyme Disease Cases in U.S. Each Year
Preliminary estimates released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the number of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year is around 300,000. The preliminary estimates were […]