SafeTrails: Feel The Heat

It’s been a hot summer, and climate scientists predict that the season is going to continue to get hotter and hotter every year. Here in New England, we’ve typically had our share of “hazy, hot, and humid,” days, but we’re seeing more; although other parts of the country (Hello Texas), and the world (Hello China) are suffering more than we are. That being said, the heat here CAN still be dangerous and it’s often the temperature combined with humidity that causes problems.

SafeTrails: Ticks in New England

Let’s face it, ticks suck. Figuratively and literally. It seems like every year the news features stories that claim "this will be the worst year for ticks," and every year, we ARE seeing more and more.

Unfortunately, they’re part of the outdoors, and while New Canaan Nature considers them “a strong and important link in the food chain,” I’d personally be happy to see them gone.

But, they're not going anywhere, and thanks to the effects of climate change (warmer winters with less snow), we will keep having "the worst year," over and over. Especially with the fact that ticks can be active any time of year when the temperatures are above freezing.

I think plenty of people are aware of Lyme disease and at least know some of the symptoms, but Lyme is just one of several diseases that can be spread by ticks in New England.

Let's first dive into the different ticks found here in the northeast (data from CDC.gov)