By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
The distribution and abundance of ticks throughout the northeast is more pronounced than ever before. As a result, ticks and tick-borne illnesses have become an increasingly pertinent public health concern in New York state.
On April 16, Ag Educator Tess Southern with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Madison County, delivered a presentation at the Cazenovia Public Library focused on identifying, avoiding and removing ticks.
The lecture began with a basic introduction to tick biology. Along with spiders, scorpions and mites, ticks belong to a group known as arachnids — creatures with two main body segments, two sets of four legs and no wings or antennae.
Ticks have four distinct life stages: egg, larvae, nymph and adult. While nymph- and adult-stage ticks have eight legs, larvae have only six. After they are hatched, ticks must suck blood at each life stage in order to grow and eventually reproduce. An unfed tick is shaped like a flattened teardrop.
Southern explained there are over 1,000 tick species worldwide. New York state is home to four potentially problematic species. The most prevalent ticks in Madison County are the blacklegged (deer) tick, the American dog (wood) tick and the lone star tick. The blacklegged tick is the most common species in the region.
“The reason we have such an issue with the blacklegged tick is its lifespan,” Southern said. “It takes two years to complete its life cycle. The other ticks in New York do not typically survive as long.”
Tick size is dependent upon species, life stage, and level of blood consumption. Blacklegged and lone star tick nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed, while adults typically grow to the size of a sesame seed. The American dog tick is larger than the blacklegged and lone star ticks, and all three species are significantly larger when fully fed.
Species identification can be complicated, explained Southern, as ticks have different shapes and color patterns depending on the species, life stage and gender. To ensure accurate identification, Southern suggested that found ticks be delivered to the CCE of Madison County office, 100 Eaton St., Morrisville.
The blacklegged tick, which requires high humidity or moisture to survive, is often found in forested areas and at the forest edge. Like most ticks, the species typically finds its hosts by “questing” — grasping onto vegetation with its back legs while reaching out with its front legs to grab onto a passing animal or human.
“Ticks don’t jump, fly or drop down from trees,” Southern stated. “If someone says they have one in their hair because it dropped out of tree . . . it most likely crawled all the way up from their pant leg to their neckline and into their hair.”
Preferring warm, dry locations, the American dog tick is typically found on roadways, trails and lawns.
The lone star tick can survive in a wide range of habitats, but often lives along roadsides and in parking lots. Unlike the blacklegged and dog ticks, the species may actively walk towards its prey.
“Ticks are really committed,” Southern said. “Once attached, a tick will feed for up to a week…their success depends on their not being discovered throughout their feeding period.”
Southern also stated that, contrary to popular belief, ticks are not truly seasonal.
“Ticks don’t really care what time of year it is,” she said. “Even here in New York when it gets so cold, they are still active.”
Tick activity throughout the year is dependent upon species and life stage. For example — according to the Don’t Get Ticked NY website — blacklegged tick larvae are most active August to late September, while the nymphs experience peak activity June to July and adults are most active March to late April and October to December.
Southern noted that if a larva, nymph or adult tick fails to find a host during its typical active season, it will continue to quest into the next season if the conditions are suitable.
Some ticks carry pathogens that can cause human disease. Different tick species transmit different disease-causing pathogens and each tick can transmit more than one pathogen at a time.
In addition to being the most common tick in New York State, the blacklegged tick is the only species that can carry the bacterium that causes Lyme disease — an infection that, left untreated, can cause a number of health problems.
According to Southern, most cases of Lyme disease are reported in the summer when nymph-stage blacklegged ticks are most active. Lyme disease is particularly prevalent in children — a finding that Southern links to the amount of time children spend outdoors during summer vacation.
“It’s not just about Lyme,” Southern said. “It’s the most prevalent, but there are several other diseases that can come from ticks.”
In addition to Lyme disease, ticks in the northeast can transmit the pathogens that cause Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Powassan Virus, Ehrlichiosis, Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness, Tularemia and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Some species can also cause tick paralysis and an allergic reaction to red meats, called alpha-gal syndrome.
In North America, there are about 125 blacklegged tick hosts, 27 of which are found in New York.
Field mice — along with other small mammals and birds — typically serve as the primary reservoir hosts of Lyme disease. Once a tick acquires a pathogen from a reservoir host, it becomes infected for life and capable of transmitting the disease-causing pathogen to its next host.
Southern reported 90 percent of white-footed mice are infected with the Lyme disease pathogen and 50 percent can be infected with up to three different pathogens.
White tail deer are hosts for 90 percent of all blacklegged ticks; each deer can account for an astounding half million ticks. Southern explained that fortunately, deer do not play a role in infecting ticks with the pathogens that cause Lyme and other diseases.
In addition to serving as a primary host, deer also play a key role in tick dispersal, as well as tick reproduction. Adult stage blacklegged ticks commonly feed on deer to gain the energy necessary to create and lay their eggs. According to Southern, one female blacklegged tick can lay 2,000 to 3,000 eggs.
Other common tick hosts in New York State include turkeys and possums, which consume 95 percent of the ticks that attach to them.
Southern advised hikers to stay on cleared, well-traveled trails and to avoid dense woods and bushy areas.
The optimal wardrobe for outdoor activities, according to Southern, includes light-colored clothing and shoes/boots, a tucked-in long-sleeve shirt and long pants tucked into tall socks.
“Most ticks are going to end up somewhere below the knee first,” said Southern. “Then they are going to have to travel all the way up your clothes to find somewhere to attach. If you are wearing light-colored clothing, you are going to be able to see them.”
Southern also strongly recommended wearing EPA-registered insect repellant and treating clothing or gear with Permethrin insecticide.
Once inside, additional precautions include showering off as soon as possible, washing clothing in a high temperature (over 122 degrees) dryer and completing full-body tick checks — focusing on inside and behind the ears, along the hairline and in the hair, the armpits, between the fingers and toes, the back of the neck, the belly button, the waistband, behind the knees, and between the legs.
All embedded ticks should be promptly removed. According to the New York State Department of Health, the risk of Lyme disease is greatly reduced if the tick is removed within the first 36 hours. To remove a tick, use a pair of pointed tweezers to grasp it by the head or mouthparts as close to the skin as possible, then pull firmly and steadily outward. Place the tick in a baggie — labeled with the date of attachment and removal — and wipe the bite wound with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. If symptoms arise, promptly deliver the tick to the doctor’s office.
Recommendations for keeping ticks minimal include keeping lawns mowed and edges trimmed; clearing brush, leaf litter and tall grass; trimming trees; removing honeysuckle, barberry and multiflora roses; replacing vegetation with hardscape; and conducting a tick drag — using a strip of white cloth — to detect heavily populated tick areas.
To learn more about ticks, visit nysipm.cornell.edu/whats-bugging-you/ticks/ or call CCE of Madison County at 315-684-3001.
