It has been a very bad fall as far as the numbers of ticks biting people in Stamford, the worst one we have had since i started keping tabs in 1989, but next year could be worse.
Why?
This NY Time Article, link from a "Time for Lyme" newsletter tells it all.
There are 2 sides to this though.
The lack of small mammals will have the ticks looking for other prey, but the main source of Lyme disease is the White footed mouse and other small creatures.
Deer do not get, do not carry and do not transmit Lyme. This might mean more tick bites, but fewer cases of Lyme disease or it may take a season or 2 to show up as a decrease, but i will be looking.
Average infection rate varies according to the life stage:
Adult female - Ioxides damminies (the black legged tick we have in CT) is 35% infected.
THe adult male only 25% infected.
The nymph - 18% infected and the larva not infected at all (it has not fed on any one to get the disease).
This has remained very consistent snce 1989 in this area of Stamford-New Canaan. We will see if it changes...
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