Soil Ecology: Critical But Understudied in the Fight Against Ticks
In many tick species, more than three-quarters of their lives are spent off-host in the soil or among the leaf litter. A research team at Cornell University highlights an important opportunity for tick researchers and soil ecologists to collaborate to better understand what happens when the ticks aren't in contact with hosts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 […]
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. […]
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.
Here’s How to Prevent Bites and Suppress Ticks that Transmit Lyme Disease
By Hannah Foster The onset of spring and summer means barbecues, camping, hiking, and a plethora of other outdoor activities. However, warmer weather also means ticks. Tick bites spread numerous […]
A Report from the Integrated Tick Management Symposium in Washington, DC
By Richard Levine In May 2016, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Entomological Society of America (ESA), the IPM Institute of North America, and the North Central […]
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 […]