![]() After the egg hatches, the larva and then nymph must find a blood meal to develop to the next life stage. During this time, they go through four life stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. The life cycle of the deer tick, also known as the blacklegged tick, or Ixodes scapularis, is generally two to three years. Can you describe the life cycle of deer ticks in Virginia?Ī. Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months, normally from April to September. As global temperatures rise, tick activity will be less hindered due to fewer cold days. What is happening right now with global warming and deer ticks as you understand it in the Northeast, and in Virginia in particular?Ī. UVA Today reached out to Holstege to learn more about how warmer weather is affecting deer tick season, what it means and how people can protect themselves. “One of my six children developed stage 2 Lyme disease and developed symptoms that included general malaise, fever, dizziness, headache, muscle aches and joint pain that especially affected his knees,” he said. Throughout his 30-year medical career, he has seen many patients present with tick-borne disease, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Southern tick-associated rash illness. Christopher Holstege is the University of Virginia’s chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology. With ticks come the threat of disease for humans and animals.ĭr. In Virginia, deer ticks have been making an early appearance as well, before their typical spring debut. Health experts say global warming is having another, destructive effect: Deer tick season has become a year-round event. In the Northeast, warmer winters are creating a different kind of disruption. Destructive storms have raced across the country, bringing tornados, flash floods and bracing winds to parts of the South and Midwest. Record snowfall has stunned Californians. Winter weather has been wonky in the United States this year.
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