Report Points to Another Ticked-Off MA Summer
Monday, June 1, 2015
BOSTON - A new report says a big increase in pesky insects and plants is one more reason for New Englanders to take action on climate change especially when it comes to ticks.
Todd Martin, outreach coordinator with the Natural Resources Council of Maine, says climate change is fueling both warmer temperatures and plenty of moisture, which is the perfect combination for a surge in the local tick population.
"The deer tick is the tick that carries the disease that causes Lyme disease," says Martin. "So, if you're in Maine, as well as in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, there is a pretty strong deer population in all three of those states."
Martin says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded more than 3,800 Lyme disease cases in Massachusetts in 2013; that was 500 more than the year before. A new National Wildlife Federation report says climate change is expanding both the range and number of annoying pests and plants that can combine to make the summer months less enjoyable.
The new report documents regional increases in everything from stink bugs to poison ivy and jellyfish, but Martin says the big concern is New England is the tick problem.
"A big reason why ticks are expanding their range and their population is warmer weather due in part to climate change," says Martin. "Shorter, warmer winters, longer wetter summers are allowing ticks to complete their life cycle."
Martin says there are a variety of factors at play and even though last winter was cold, experts say the deep snow may have acted as an insulator for ticks. Then, there are the deer.
"Maine has done a great job managing its deer herd, and deer ticks are the ones that carry Lyme disease," he says. "So, the fact we have such a strong deer population in Maine is good for deer, but bad news for Lyme disease cases."
The report is called, "Ticked Off: The Outdoor Experience and Climate Change." Martin says slashing CO2 emissions would be one positive step that could help prevent growth of these pesky pests and plants.
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