Officials: Lyme disease reports are on the rise

[hrmjustin]

Joe Mahoney

Experts are warning that ticks — the culprit in the spreading of Lyme disease — will be in abundance across New York this year despite the prolonged frosty winter.

According to Paul Curtis, coordinator of Cornell University’s Wildlife Damage Management Program, the long-lasting snow cover helped insulate overwintering ticks in fallen leaves

The density of tick populations correlates with deer abundance, Curtis said. “High local deer populations have contributed to a rise in reported Lyme disease cases in people and pets,” Curtis said.

The tiny ticks, he said, are generally found in shaded sites or woodland edges, or in shaded home landscapes. “Black legged ticks — also known as deer ticks — do not like dry, open areas and are not common in tall grass,” he said.

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