Tick season is here, and unfortunately, here in Texas, it may mean a massive tick population increase. It’s been predicted that 2019 will bear a high number of ticks as compared to recent years. They’re thriving thanks, in part, to the wet year we’ve had to date, in addition to warmer temperatures, which allow ticks to be considerably active early and for longer periods throughout the year.
In Texas this year, tick season started in late April and will likely run through October, a much longer period than usual. Online sources indicate that with the added humidity resulting from El Niño, the three tick species known to do well in Texas, the Rocky Mountain Wood, the Brown Dog, and the Western Blacklegged, will see alarming increases in their numbers. With that comes the need for increased awareness around tick-borne illnesses. Lyme disease is known to be carried by the black-legged ticks. They’re known to have two-to-three-year life cycles which are most active between the months of May and July. They’re also common carriers of such things as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, the Powassan virus, Tularemia, and Babesiosis.
