Be Tick Aware!
2018 was a year of excessive rainfall in the Northeastern United States paired with warm temperatures. The impact of climate change has been increasingly evident over the last few years, changing the seasons, killing crops and harming a myriad of species. However, there’s one type of critter that has been thriving and that’s the blacklegged tick. The little sucker that’s responsible for the transmission of Lyme disease.
A mild winter coupled with an excessively rainy 2018 may lead to a surge in the number of ticks capable of transmitting Lyme disease this spring, according to researchers at Rutgers University. More blacklegged ticks will be out in force as temperatures begin to rise after thriving last summer and fall, and surviving the winter thanks to favorable weather. Climate change, which has fostered warmer winters, has contributed to the higher numbers by allowing more ticks and their animal hosts to survive the colder months and spread out to regions that have not typically hosted the arachnid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As these ticks emerge, they are hungry and they are looking for something to feast upon. Don’t let that be you! Keep a vigilant eye out for ticks.
With Lyme-disease-carrying ticks an ever-growing concern, and disease-carrying ticks found in all 48 contiguous states, proper tick etiquette before and after any outdoor walk is important! With these foolproof steps, you’ll be fully ready to go out without fear.
Be tick aware! They may seem tiny, but boy do they have an impact on your health should you be unfortunate enough to be bitten by an infected tick. Be safe people!
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