Bad Roommates: Study Tracks Mice to Nests, Finds Ticks Aplenty
In the first field study of its kind, researchers confirmed Peromyscus mouse nests as understudied habitats for ticks, including blacklegged ticks and American dog ticks. Researchers are hoping to better understand the role of mouse-tick interactions within nests in the spread of tick-borne disease.
Forest Service Crews Double as Tick-Surveillance Teams in Collaborative Study
A partnership between the University of Tennessee and the USDA Forest Service is a proof-of-concept for collaborative tick-surveillance programs.
Cattle Call: Tick Surveillance Project Offers Model for Monitoring Livestock
A study in Tennessee found ticks on about one in six cattle and at livestock monitoring locations in all regions of the state, highlighting a "hidden health threat" to the cattle industry.
New CDC Tick Study Adds to Promise of Permethrin-Treated Clothing
Experiments conducted at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed clothing treated with permethrin had strong toxic effects on three primary germ-carrying tick species, interfering with the ticks' ability to move properly and likely interfering with their ability to bite.
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.
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.