Impact of Invasive Japanese Barberry Cascades Through Local Food Webs
Dense thickets of invasive Japanese barberry significantly reduce the diversity and numbers of insects and arthropods in forests, according to new research. The ripple effects can extend upward throughout local ecosystems, even affecting human health via an increased presence of Lyme disease.
In the Southern U.S., Young Blacklegged Ticks’ Habitat is a Mystery
In the southern U.S., blacklegged tick larvae and nymphs can be found on hosts, but they don't otherwise show up in vegetation or—as a new study finds—in leaf litter or soil either. So where are they hiding?
Tick-Repellent Clothing: How Laundry Suds Affect Your Permethrin-Treated Duds
A study on the durability of permethrin-treated clothing found that, after 16 cycles of wearing and washing the clothes, their repellent effect on ticks was indeed reduced, but it was still better than untreated clothing.
Manage Japanese Barberry to Keep Tick Levels Low, Reduce Lyme Risk
Clearing the invasive shrub Japanese barberry from a wooded area once can lead to a significant reduction in abundance of blacklegged ticks for as long as six years
First Report of Dwarf Deer Tick Comes as Overall Population Soars
By Leslie Mertz If you have ever found a deer tick crawling on your shirt or sock, you know how difficult they can be to spot. Adult females are about […]
Study Finds Lyme Disease in Ticks in Nine U.S. National Parks
Don't forget to pack repellent the next time you head out to commune with nature.
A Tick that Feeds on Birds May Increase the Range of Lyme Disease
By Meredith Swett Walker If you have lived in the northeastern United States any time in the last 25 years or so, you have almost certainly heard of Lyme disease. […]
Ticks that Vector Lyme Disease Move West into North Dakota
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, there are more than 300,000 cases of Lyme disease in the U.S. each year. Last year, most Lyme disease cases reported to […]
Reduced Numbers of Deer can Lead to Fewer Lyme Disease Cases
Since white-tailed deer serve as the primary host for the adult blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) — the vector for Lyme disease — scientists have wondered whether reducing the number of […]