7/2/2013 - By Gregory Nicoll

Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY warns of a potential high 2012 tick population and higher public risk of Lyme Disease.

‘This is not because of the unusually warm winter, however,’ says Ostenfeld.  ‘There is no rigorous evidence supporting a positive correlation between winter temperatures at a site and overwinter survival or subsequent spring/summer density of ticks.  The reason we're expecting a bad 2012 is that heavy acorn masting in 2010 in the northeast led to very high densities of white-footed mice and eastern chipmunks in 2011.  Both these species but especially mice are highly competent reservoirs for the Lyme disease spirochete and also good-quality hosts for larval ticks.  In our 20-year dataset, the summer after a high-mouse year almost always sees unusually high abundance of infected nymphal blacklegged ticks.’

Harrell’s recommends Talstar by FMC for deer tick control. Take a few minutes to read FMC’s Best Management Practices for Deer Ticks.

Image from deerticks.com