Is Deer Overpopulation Responsible for More Deer Ticks?

When you think of a deer population, you may picture majestic creatures peacefully grazing in fields or forests.

However, there is another side to a deer population that often goes unnoticed. Deer overpopulation can cause many problems for the land where the animals reside, and for humans who come into contact with them. Overcrowded deer can lead to more ticks. In this article we will discuss what causes deer overpopulation and why it can cause more ticks.

Is deer overpopulation responsible for more deer ticks?

What is Deer Overpopulation?

Deer overpopulation is the term given to when there are more deer than the land can sustain. Too many deer can cause many problems for both deer and humans. When deer are overpopulated in a given region, they compete with other animals for food and can compete with farmers for safe pastures. Where deer are overpopulated, there can be increased risk for drivers vs. deer encounters.

Why Does Deer Overpopulation Cause More Ticks?

Deer are host to many different parasites that can infect other animals, including humans. Deer are hosts to a variety of tick species. These parasites can infect both humans and domestic animals such as cattle and horses. The deer tick is native to the Eastern United States, but has now spread westward into the Great Plains and California. It stands to reason, the more plentiful the tick hosts, the more plentiful the tick populations. If deer find their way onto your property, they can carry ticks with them.

Merrimack Tick Control Methods Don’t Include Controlling Deer Populations

There are a number of recommendations for controlling deer populations. From providing more food sources, to eliminating competitors of food sources, to eliminating deer populations with hunting. Your best bet for controlling the number of ticks on your property does not involve controlling the deer population around your home. It’s about controlling the ticks. This is because ticks feed on many other species, including the white footed mouse, the biggest spreader of Lyme infection.

At-home Merrimack tick control should be employed from April all the way through October in the Northeastern United States. This is because adult deer ticks are scrounging for their final blood meal before bedding down for winter. Tick control is deployed in two manners. One is by barrier protection spray. This method is commonly used in the springtime and summer. When autumn is afoot, tick tubes are the preferred tick control method. These tubes contain treated cotton that mice carry to their nests, which will eliminate ticks and their offspring without harming the mice. Ultimately, this level of tick control results in fewer ticks emerging in the springtime.

Dave Macchia, tick control enthusiast — Dave Macchia, Central Mass tick control enthusiast

How long does it take to get Powassan virus from a tick?

Powassan virus is a rare tick-borne illness. It is primarily spread by deer ticks.

As you might know, it takes 24 to 48 hours of attachment for a deer tick to pass Lyme infection. If an engorged deer tick is found on a person or pet, there is a chance that the tick has been attached long enough to spread Lyme bacteria. But is the same true for the much rarer Powassan virus?

How long does it take to contract Powassan virus?

How long does a tick have to be attached to pass Powassan virus?

Experts believe that Powassan virus can be contracted in only 15 minutes. In a People Magazine article dated July 30, 2022, a family speaks about their experience with this potentially fatal disease. A three-year-old in Pennsylvania fell gravely ill after his mother found a tick on him. His mother explained the tick was, “non-embedded or engorged,” and so they went on about their day without giving much thought to the tick.

Deer ticks can pass Powassan in only 15 minutes.

This family has prior experience with tick bites, as the boy’s older sister contracted Lyme disease a few years ago. The vigilant mother noted that a small red bump had formed on his skin a few days after finding the tick, but again, this was not particular cause for concern.

After two weeks passed, the boy’s daycare provider began to notice lethargy and said that he had also complained of a headache. Within a few days, a temperature of 104 spurred his parents to take him to the hospital. Due to an elevated white blood cell count, he was tested for viral and bacterial meningitis – both being ruled out. On day five of the boy’s hospital stay, an MRI confirmed a meningoencephalitis diagnosis. Within 15 hours of an IV of immunoglobulin, he woke up and began talking to his family. After spending nearly two weeks in the hospital, he was released. A few days later, doctors confirmed the Powassan virus diagnosis. Though this disease is most unfortunate, his case is one of fortune. That is because approximately 10% of sufferers with sever infection do not survive Powassan. Though his parents are hopeful about the future, there are aspects of the boy’s recovery that are yet unknown. A Facebook group about the family’s experience has been created but to raise awareness about the disease.

Hingham tick control will help you avoid ticks.

Encountering ticks can be likened to a game of Russian roulette. Why take the chance when you don’t have to? I recommend that families enlist the help of professional tick control providers to help keep ticks away from their homes. Even still, there is no tick treatment that is 100% effective. Therefore, I also recommend vigilance in performing tick checks after spending time outdoors. This is especially important for campers, hikers, gardeners, and children, who have been playing outdoors. Pets are family too – they must be checked for ticks frequently!

Is Lyme disease the worst illness spread by the deer tick?

It really depends on your definition of “worst.”

When it comes to sheer numbers, Lyme disease is by far the worst tick-borne illness. At the time of this writing, the CDC estimates that annual cases of Lyme infection in the United States lies somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000. If you have ever become infected with Lyme disease, you might say it’s the worst. If you or someone you know suffers from Chronic Lyme infection, you might assuredly believe it’s the worst. But there is another tick-born illness, which is passed by the deer tick, that is rearing its ugly head.

Is Lyme disease the worst tick-borne illness?

Powassan virus is worse in other ways.

Powassan virus disease is certainly not the worst in case numbers. Over the last decade, the United States has had about 100 confirmed cases of this tick-borne illness. However, if you or someone you know has been infected with Powassan virus, you would call it the worst. What makes it so?

Powassan symptoms are sporadic.

Symptoms of Powassan virus range from no symptoms at all to severe neurological affliction. The illness can be perplexing to medical professionals. Many patients are admitted to the hospital, where a battery of tests are run, which finally result in a confirmed case of Powassan virus disease. Symptoms can occur one week after a tick bite, or a month later. Symptoms can be vomiting, fever, loss of coordination, seizures, and even death.

No treatment, no vaccine.

Like Lyme disease, there is currently no vaccine for Powassan virus. And while Lyme disease can be treated and cured if diagnosed early, there is no treatment for Powassan. Doctors must intervene with treatment of symptoms, which can include IV fluids and respiratory support.

Powassan virus can be fatal.

Approximately 10-15% of severe cases of Powassan virus disease result in death. What’s more, those, who survive infection, are often left with lingering effects. One Barnstable Mass resident says he feels lucky to be alive after his run-in with this rare tick-borne illness.

What should you do to reduce your risk of exposure to tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme or Powassan?

Steps can be taken to reduce tick bite risks. These include very simple habits, like keeping your lawn cut short, and clearing brush, leaves, and yard waste from your property. If you are going out in nature, wear sleeves and pants to create a barrier between yourself and ticks. It is also recommended that you wear a repellent containing 20% DEET.

Central Mass tick control The CDC also recommends augmenting your tick bite protection by treating your yard for ticks. Professional tick control companies offer solutions for tick elimination. Hiring professionals to treat your property means that you will be optimally protected. This is because tick control technicians are trained to seek out high-risk areas throughout your property to ensure that they are areas of focus for treatment. Reputable companies not only offer yard sprays on a rotating schedule from spring through fall, but extend their offering with tick control tubes. Tick tubes are placed in the fall and work to control the emerging tick population in the spring.

Tag: deer ticks