Climate change is causing ticks to remain active in Connecticut year-round, according to scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES).
“For the last month and a half, we have had above freeing temperature and that’s the perfect temperature for ticks to be active," said Goudarz Molaei, who leads the state's tick surveillance program. "People have to realize this is the reality, they have to take every precaution they can in order to protect themselves."
The state's lab usually receives reports of about 50 ticks for an entire winter season. Now, with warmer weather, Molaei said his team receives about 800 reports during the winter.
When a big freeze happens, ticks become dormant. So far, it has been a mild winter and the ticks are active.
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"Even at 40 degrees, ticks are active out there," Molaei said.
People are encouraged to take precautions against ticks and tick bites that can lead to illness and disease.
Preventative steps include avoiding tall grass, using insect repellent, hiking in the middle of the trail and always checking for ticks.
