Why were ticks bad in New Hampshire in 2021?

Did it seem like 2021 brought on a New Hampshire tick apocalypse?

No, we are not speaking of armies of dead ticks – the tick population in New Hampshire seems to have exponentially increased in recent years. Here’s what you need to know about 2021, year of the New Hampshire tick invasion!

Are there really more ticks or did you just see more ticks?

You might be wondering if there are actually larger numbers of ticks in New Hampshire, and the short answer is, yes. We must also point out that many of our residents could have simply experienced more ticks in 2021 because they found themselves out in nature a bit more. With lingering pandemic restrictions, many families remained working and schooling from home. Many New Hampshire residents forewent family vacations once more, opting to stay closer to home, yet venturing outdoors for recreational time. In any event, both could be true. You could have seen more ticks because you were outdoors more than ever, and you could have seen more ticks because there actually are more!

Here are a few reasons that tick populations continue to grow.

The one that you will likely hear the most about is climate change. Climate change has affected tick populations in a couple of ways. Longer, warmer winters in Northeastern climes mean that ticks are not dying off. It also means that ticks that were not typically found in New Hampshire, are now living here – most notably, the lone star tick. In addition to commonly found black-legged (deer) tick, which is responsible for the spread of Lyme disease, the lone star tick carries ehrlichiosis and a bite from one of these ticks can result in alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy.

Other reasons that tick populations could continue to expand are growing deer populations and deforestation or urbanization. But all hope is not lost.

How can you help turn the tides on the New Hampshire tick apocalypse?

Of course, working to decrease your carbon footprint and waste would be a great step in the right direction in slowing the effects of climate change. But in the more immediate tense, you can choose to treat your yard and the areas around it with professional tick control all year ‘round. Mosquito Squad of New Hampshire Lakes offers clients the opportunity to not only fortify their yards against ticks in the spring and summer – we offer fall and winter tick control too! By employing this level of protection, you can help break the tick life cycle, which could work to decrease the population.

Reduce the number of ticks around your home with the help from Mosquito Squad of New Hampshire Lakes Region’s tick control, which offers year-round protection. You can connect with us right here to get your tick control underway.