In the woods of Armonk, New York, about an hour north of New York City, students at Fordham University’s Louis Calder Center are on high alert – not for large predators but for something much smaller: ticks, some the size of a small pencil dot.

Armonk

Researchers at Fordham University’s Louis Calder Center have observed a notable increase in tick populations in the woods north of New York City, with numbers reported to be 30 to 40 percent higher than the previous year. The majority of ticks collected are black-legged ticks, which are known to transmit Lyme disease, along with other species such as the American dog tick and the invasive Asian long-horned tick. 

The rise in tick numbers is believed to be influenced by factors such as warmer temperatures, increased deer populations, and more people living in wooded areas. The Fordham Tick Index indicates a consistently high risk for tick bites in the region, which includes southern New York, Connecticut, and northern New Jersey. Health experts recommend precautions like using tick repellent, wearing protective clothing, and checking for ticks after outdoor activities.

Surge of ticks in U.S. Northeast sets off health concerns

In the woods an hour north of New York City, students are on high alert. Not for bears or coyotes, but something much smaller, ticks, some the size of a sesame seed. They're dragging cloth through the terrain to collect the critters, and they're finding more arachnids than usual. Dr. Tom Daniels is the director of Fordham University's Louis Calder Center. It's been a really hot year for ticks. We're seeing numbers that are generally about 30 to 40 percent higher than we saw last year, for example. The bulk of the students' findings are black-legged ticks, responsible for spreading Lyme disease. Other species included the American dog tick, which is linked to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the invasive Asian long-horned tick. There's speculation, of course, that one of the reasons we're seeing more ticks, not just the number, but even the higher diversity, has to do with global warming, and that certainly is a factor. We're seeing ticks in areas that we hadn't seen them before. But the black-legged tick numbers go up and down from one year to the next, and we don't always know why it is that that happens. Scientists also point to a soaring deer population and people moving to more wooded areas. The wildlife is here, the ticks are here, and now we're here, and that raises our risk. His lab also operates the Fordham Tick Index, tracking tick activity across the region. This summer, it's consistently showing high risk for tick bites in the tri-state area, the region around southern New York, Connecticut, and northern New Jersey. More tick bites means a greater risk for tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease, which affects nearly half a million Americans annually, according to the CDC. Dr. Bruce Faber is an infectious disease physician. Only about three or four percent of ticks carry Lyme. Nevertheless, there's so many ticks and so many tick bites in certain areas. If you go hiking in the woods in the northeast right now, and you don't do anything to protect yourself, it would not be unusual to see that individual come back with five or ten ticks all over their body. Experts are urging precautions like using tick repellent, wearing long sleeves, and checking yourself and pets after activities outside.

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