The return of some sunshine and warmer temperatures also means ticks will emerge from hibernation, if not already.
Scientists at SUNY’s College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry warned that the tiny blood suckers held on through the brutal winter and plan to procreate in bigger numbers heading into spring.
They’re active the moment you can see grass peaking through the melting snow.
“They're in what we call micro habitats, and they're really conducive to their survival," associate professor of epidemiology and disease ecology at SUNY ESF Brian Leydet said. "Now, let's say you get a permafrost and it freezes the whole ground, then you could expect some tick mortality, but we don't see that type of freezing here.”
Leydet blames global warming for making Central New York an ideal ecology for the black-legged deer tick carrying Lyme Disease.
"This little tick is an organism, just like anything else. I often like to compare it to like a plant," Leydet said. "As climate change affects all different things, not just warming, but precipitation, other factors, we see the environment being more conducive to these ticks."
Leydet said Central New York is habitable for ticks, in ways that other climates are conducive to black flies. The area is a primary living environment for ticks right now, and the number of "good tick years" is going to keep going up.
"Folks that have lived in Central New York for their life, you hear the stories of, 'We didn't use to have ticks like this.' Over the past 30, 40 years, it's changed," Leydet said. "That is a direct; there's a lot of factors, but global climate change is one of those."
For that reason, Leydet advises putting tick collars on pets now and using proper repellents when going outside. Wearing light colored clothing helps with spotting the hatchlings that start as tiny as the tip of a ballpoint pen.
“That little pin, that little point you put on is about the size of a nymphal tick," Leydet said. "Those will start coming out early spring, and the nymphal ticks are that small. So if you see a speck walking around on your pants, flick it off, get it off you, don't let it contact you.”
Leydet says do a full body check before stepping back inside, throw your clothing in the dryer - because ticks hate heat. And, don’t forget to check between toes, behind ears, and underarms because ticks love finding bare skin.
