Rising global temperatures created fertile breeding conditions, ensuring more ticks survived the winter.

Gulf Coast and Lone Star ticks are moving deeper into the U.S., thriving in formerly cold regions.

An acorn boom two years ago caused a surge in mice and deer, the primary hosts for tick larvae.

With wildlife food sources now depleted, hungry ticks are increasingly latching onto humans and dogs.

In the U.S. Northeast, up to 50% of adult deer ticks now carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease.

It typically takes 24 to 36 hours for an attached, infected tick to transmit pathogens into the bloodstream.

Ticks climb from the ground up. Tucking pants into socks and wearing light clothing reveals them faster.

Treating hiking gear with permethrin or using EPA-approved repellents significantly lowers bite risk.

A new Lyme disease vaccine candidate recently demonstrated a 73% efficacy rate in clinical trials.