Seasonal Variation in Nymphal Blacklegged Tick Abundance in Southern New England Forests

• Published in: Journal of medical entomology Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 898 - 900
• Main Authors: Rodgers, Sarah E., Miller, Nathan J., Mather, Thomas N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lanham, MD Entomological Society of America 01-09-2007
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; disease vectors; Forestry; forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General forest ecology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; intraseasonal; intraseasonal variation; Ixodes - physiology; Ixodes scapularis; Lyme disease; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; New England; Nymph - physiology; nymphs; Population Density; Population Dynamics; seasonal variation; Seasons; SHORT COMMUNICATION; surveys; tick abundance; tick surveys; ticks; Trees; variation; Vectors. Intermediate hosts; Rhode Island; New England region; United States; North America; Massachusetts; America; New England; Parasitiformes; Lyme disease; Forests; tick abundance; Borrelia infection; Parasite; Ixodes scapularis; intraseasonal; variation; Infection; Arachnida; Acari; Ixodida; Spirochaetosis; Seasonal variation; Arthropoda; Bacteriosis; Invertebrata; Vector; Ixodidae
• ISSN: 0022-2585; 1938-2928
• DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585%282007%2944%5B898%3ASVINBT%5D2.0.CO%3B2

In the northeastern United States, risk of human exposure to tick transmitted disease is primarily a function of the abundance of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say. We assessed seasonal variability in the abundance of nymphal stage I. scapularis over 13 yr, collected from several forested areas throughout Rhode Island. Specifically, we examined intraseasonal differences by using two temporally distinct tick collections made during the peak nymphal tick season. Intraseasonal factors significantly impacted tick abundance, with the June tick rate (mean = 40.42, SD = 14.79) significantly more abundant than the July tick rate (mean = 27.64, SD = 15.47). The greater variability in July (coefficient of variation: June, 36.61%; July, 55.95%) lead us to conclude June tick rates are relatively stable from year to year, whereas July tick rates contribute more to intraseasonal and yearly variation.