Removal · field guidance

Deer ticks must feed on deer

Despite the name, larval black-legged ticks usually feed on white-footed mice and small mammals, which are the main Lyme reservoirs.

Steps

schema.org/HowTo

01
DO NOT believe deer are required for the Lyme cycle just because the vector is called the deer tick.
02
Larval Ixodes scapularis primarily feed on white-footed mice and other small mammals, which is where they pick up Borrelia burgdorferi.
03
Deer are important hosts for the adult stage and help maintain tick populations, but they are not the source of Lyme infection in the tick.
04
This matters for prevention: rodent-targeted interventions (bait boxes, treated nest material) reduce risk in ways that deer fences may not.
05
For people, use repellent, treat clothing with permethrin, and do thorough tick checks after exposure.

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