At this year’s Mountain Maryland Native Plant Festival at New Germany State Park, Dr. Rebekah Taylor discussed the ticks of western Maryland, the diseases they carry, and tick prevention strategies. With summer officially here, outside activities are on the rise, and so too are encounters with ticks. Those who find ticks on themselves or their pets are encouraged to donate them to the tick research project run by Dr. Taylor at Frostburg State University. This research provides a better understanding about various ticks found in the region and what pathogens they carry, such as the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. Every donated tick is identified, mapped, and tested. All of the data is uploaded to an open-access website called FieldScope for the public to see – https://fsutick.fieldscope.org/
Donated ticks should be from the following counties: Maryland – Washington, Allegany, and Garrett; Pennsylvania – Somerset, Bedford, and Fulton County (or nearby); and West Virginia – Mineral, Hampshire, Grant, and Preston (or nearby). To donate ticks, place them in a freezer for at least one day to ensure that they are dead before being mailed. Tape the tick to an index or postcard, and note the date and the approximate geographic location where the tick was encountered. Mail the card to: Dr. Rebekah Taylor, Frostburg State University, 101 Braddock Road, Frostburg, MD 21532.
Ticks are becoming more common as a result of warmer winters and the spread of invasive plant species such as Japanese barberry, a favorite home of mice, which carry ticks. Research has linked climate change to both expanded ranges and increased seasons of activity for ticks. Dr. Rebekah Taylor, Professor and Department Chair of Biology at Frostburg State University, trained as an immunologist. She became interested in tick-borne disease after her son contracted Lyme disease on a camping trip in western Maryland. She has engaged students and community members in both passive and active surveillance projects in the region since 2017. For more information, Dr Taylor can be reached at rtaylor@frostburg.edu
This information was provided by the Friends of New Germany State Park Facebook page.
