Even before warm temperatures crept in during April of this year, state officials reported Seeing higher tick numbers and Lyme disease infections statewide.

“We have certainly Seen the increase in tick submissions this year and we would like to remind all New Canaan residents to be diligent and to perform tick checks upon coming in from the outdoors and if they find a tick on themselves (or their children) they can bring it to our department and we will send it to the state lab for them,” said Jen Eielson, New Canaan’s director of environmental health.

According to Gourdaz Molaei, a research scientist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and director of the Connecticut state tick-testing program, tick numbers will double by the end of 2017.

Molaei said the increase in tick infection rates can be linked back to a surge in the population of white-footed mice, the primary carriers of the Lyme bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi.

Source: New Canaan News