Incidence of Ticks and Tick Bites at Harvard Forest since 2006

In an effort to determine exposure to ticks and to determine appropriate preventative measures to reduce the occurrence of Lyme Disease in summer research interns at Harvard Forest, data are collected about where students work at Harvard Forest; the time spent in the field; the number of ticks students find on themselves after each trip to the field; and the number of ticks that actually bite and embed themselves in the skin. From these data, we estimate areas of high tick densities and estimate time of summer during which ticks are most prevalent. The results are used to develop recommendations for appropriate precautions that students can take to avoid tick-borne diseases.