Ticks Run Rampant! Lyme Disease Increases

With the snap of twigs and the crashing of brush, I broke loose from the tree line and made my way onto the Forest Service road. Like many locals, I had spent the afternoon with a fishing pole in hand, chasing wild Maine brook trout. As I moved away from the tall grass that lined the road, I pulled at my pant legs. I needed to make quick work of the legion of arachnids making their way up my socks and boots. Warm spring weather signals the beginning of brook fishing season in northern New England. It also means falling back into the routine of regular tick checks.

Deer ticks first surfaced in Maine in the 1980s, proving the occasional menace to hikers and anglers. Today, that’s a different story. Talk to folks who live and work along the edge of the White Mountain National Forest and you will hear that “the ticks have never been this bad!” Like the locals, Forest Service scientists are also noticing the increasing range, number, and variety of ticks, not only in northern New England, but across the country.

Scientist and researchers from the Forest Service’s Northern Research Station are working to understand the spread of ticks. They have found that the presence of invasive plant species, for instance, may contribute to more ticks on a landscape. In another study of lawn mowing frequency and ticks, researchers have begun debunking the theory that well-pruned lawns lead to fewer ticks.

Forest Service scientists are also investigating how the perception of ticks—and the risk of contracting vector-borne diseases through tick bites—may affect the way Americans are using their national forests and grasslands. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks reported cases of illnesses transmitted through tick bites. The compiled data notes a four-fold increase from 1991 and 2017 in reported cases of Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. According to the data, 2017 proved the high-water mark with more than 42,000 reported and presumed cases nationwide.

As Americans get outdoors this July 4^th and enjoy their national forests and grasslands, they need to take precautions before, during, and after their visit to prevent tick bites.

The Forest Service, with the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides tips on preventing and removing ticks. For more information on local tick conditions, users should contact their forests and grasslands offices.

Korey Morgan/U.S. Forest Service