It’s not just you – the ticks really are bad this year in Connecticut.
From January to July, more than 5,200 ticks were submitted to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) for identification and testing. That’s a record-breaking high for this time of year and a nearly 40% increase in what scientists usually see, according to Goudarz Molaei, director of Connecticut’s tick and tick-borne disease surveillance program at CAES.
At this rate, Connecticut could see the highest annual number of ticks ever submitted.
“I'm expecting we will have greater than 6,000 [ticks] for the first time this year,” Molaei said.
Emergency room visits for tick bites are also up, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For every 100,000 emergency room visits in the Northeast, 110 of them are caused by tick bites – the highest rate since 2017.
And ticks aren’t just in wooded areas anymore. They're also in the grass near Connecticut waters.
“We have extended areas in Fairfield and New Haven counties, maybe about 50 to 100 meters away from bodies of water, infested with ticks,” Molaei said.
“Some of those infestations are so high that it takes 5-10 minutes if you accidentally step into that area, when you step out, you might collect hundreds of ticks on you,” he said. self.
Ticks thrive in warmer weather
What’s behind the uptick in tick numbers?
Warming temperatures, brought on by climate change, are helping ticks increase in numbers and expand their range. Even ticks not native to Connecticut, like the Asian longhorned tick, are getting a firmer hold on the state.
“Because there is no limiting factor, no cold winters – except for the past winter – they are able to stay here, establish population, and extend their range,” Molaei said.
Climate change is also contributing to population increases in the animals ticks feed on: deer and rodents. For ticks, that means more hosts to carry them, and in the case of rodents, more access to disease-causing bacteria.
“These groups of animals are helping the tick population,” Molaei said. “Rodents not only provide food to ticks, they also provide pathogens.”
Warming temperatures are also growing rodents’ food supply, particularly acorns, causing a surprising link between the oak tree nut and tick infections.
“We are seeing, a year after acorn yield is high, not only higher population of rodents, but also high population of ticks and higher infection rates in ticks,” Molaei said.
The risk of Lyme disease is higher in oak forests two years after a large acorn crop, according to the National Park Service.
Why controlling CT’s deer population could help
One way to tackle the issue? Controlling the state’s white-tail deer population.
While deer don’t have a direct impact on the spread of Lyme disease, they’re a vital carrier for adult ticks.
Although white-tailed deer were once uncommon in Connecticut, due to overharvesting and habitat loss, their numbers are increasing in the state, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
“Deer is the major culprit. Several tick species that we have in the region exclusively feed on white-tailed deer,” Molaei said.
“Of course, I am not naive to suggest that we can eliminate deer throughout the region, but I am hoping that with a kind of collective approach, we can put a dent in the deer population,” he said.
Despite the growth in ticks, DEEP is not currently considering any changes in how it manages Connecticut’s deer population, according to a spokesperson at the agency.
“Deer are a common vector for adult ticks, but that is not the only issue or solution. Reducing tick-borne illnesses requires a multi-faceted approach, including managing tick-friendly habitats,” the agency said in a statement. “Invasive Japanese Barberry, in particular, creates a humid microclimate that fosters tick populations. DEEP foresters combat this directly on state lands, and through educating landowners.”
Tick numbers are expected to slow down in August and September since many blacklegged ticks, commonly known as deer ticks, are now at the larval stage and do not bite humans.
Scientists are bracing for another peak of tick activity in the fall.
How to submit ticks
Ticks can be submitted to your local municipal health department or CAES for identification and testing.
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member, covering the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public
