BRIAN PAIGE
THE RECEIVES TRUTH ABOUT BEACON TICKS AWARD & WINTER
BRIAN PAIGE
THE RECEIVES TRUTH ABOUT BEACON TICKS AWARD & WINTER
Being cool for millennia . Deer ticks ( Ixodes scapularis ) have been surviving cold winters for thousands of years . One study estimates expansion into New Jersey around 50,000 years ago . With the northernmost population having survived the glacial maximum along the Mid-Atlantic region , they expanded outward into the Northeast . Winters up here are nothing new to them .
Winter : Just a part of life . Deer ticks undergo a two-year life cycle from egg to adult . This means thriving in cold weather is just part of their natural development . Every spring , eggs are laid . These eggs hatch into larval ticks , which are active during the summer months . After feeding once on a small animal , these larvae molt into nymphs . These nymphal ticks will not feed for another 8 months or so . Instead , most will survive their first winter as unfed nymphs . Nymph emergence peaks around May and June . However , it ’ s not uncommon to find them much earlier . Significantly , nymphs pose the greatest risk to humans , being both small and capable of spreading many diseases . Like larvae , they will feed once before molting and will not feed again for several months .
The adult stage is the final stage . Adults become active in the fall of that year . They remain active into the following spring . This means this is the second time ticks will experience winter conditions . Unlike the nymphs , adults are active and searching for a large mammal . Generally , this means they are looking for deer , but a human , cat , or dog will suffice .
Any time temperatures are above 32 ° F , deer ticks can be active . However , they are a bit sluggish until you get around 40 ° F and up .
The cold never bothered them anyway . Deer ticks have several adaptations and behaviors they use to tolerate cold temperatures . They synthesize an antifreeze compound called glycerol . Glycerol lowers the temperature at which water inside the tick freezes . This mitigates lethal cold injury , even as ponds and lakes freeze over . Interestingly , Borrelia burgdoferi , the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease , is thought to use glycerol as a carbohydrate source for survival .
Deer ticks aren ’ t impervious to cold temperatures , though . If exposed to ~ 10-14 ° F or lower for a sustained period , they can die .
But ticks have another trick up their sleeves . They will burrow under leaves and snow . Surprisingly , leaf and snow cover work very well as insulation . Don ’ t go by what the weather forecast says , you would need to know the local temperature underneath everything to see how ticks are impacted . Even if air temperatures drop to well below zero , temperatures could easily remain in the 20s underneath leaves and snow . I would not expect that last cold spell to impact anything you do to prevent tick bites . Additionally , some data shared at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology suggests that deer ticks infected with Borrelia burgdoferi could be more resilient to winter temperatures .
Don ’ t adjust your thinking about ticks based on the weather ! Treat this time of year like any other time of year .
• Apply tick and flea prevention .
• Perform tick checks after going outside .
• Check your pets for ticks after they come indoors .
• Be cautious around piled leaves along yard edges and alongside trails .
• Clear away snow and leaves from your yard .
• Compromise : If looking to promote habitat by “ leaving the leaves ,” only clear leaves from the parts of your yard you expect to use often .
Reprinted from UMass Hort Notes Vol . 34:1
MALP Newsline | Fall 2024 21