Fewer Ticks This Year?

[Beagle Huntsman]

I made it to the office late today. Ohio Public Hunting Areas are closed to dog training from May 1 to September 1, so I loaded up a pack of hounds this morning and made one last trip to a favorite area about an hour north of me. I took 18 hounds -- 10 females and 8 males. Running was outstanding, and the pack made the hills and valleys ring for over 3 hours of nearly non-stop running. The deep voices of the big males blended perfectly with the higher voices of the females, and I really enjoyed their concert. Rabbits were surprisingly plentiful for a public hunting area. However, ticks were not. In fact, I didn't see a single tick on me or the hounds this morning. Are others noticing fewer ticks this year? I saw fewer last year as well, so I think these past 2 hard winters are working on them. I have seen a few this spring, but not like years past. What do you think?

[rabbit chaser]

I just picked five off my pants in about two hours of running. come on over and i'll let you take all you want back home. I picked probably 10-15 off the dogs that I could find tonight as well. I wish we were having a kill off of them but it doesn't look like that here.

[barnold1]

Last year was horrible here; this year is slightly better but still bad. I just applied my second round of Frontline yesterday.

[rabbitatfarm]

Here in my corner of SW Michigan, they don't seem too bad. I seem to collect more than the dogs. I've only found one of two on each dog so far.

Larry

[Smoke'n Mack]

Loaded up with them again in Western PA, have been for a few weeks. They are terrible.

[dave404]

I been out almost everyday for 2 weeks here in eastern KY and haven't seen one yet. hope there aint many.

[TOBY]

Loaded with them here in Southern MD

[Beagle Huntsman]

Thanks for the responses.

It appears some places have them in abundance and some do not. I would guess after a mild winter or two, we would all be covered with them. Having fewer ticks in the spring definitely makes a bad winter almost worthwhile in my book. Two years ago I was getting deer ticks on me just going to my kennel in the 5 acre woodlot behind the house, but not now.

[reddog1]

12 miles sw of Lansing,Mi. I rarely see a tick, I think the grand total of over 30 years of running is 7 ticks. 5 of them were at my cottage on Drummond.

[Shady Grove Beagles]

I may be totally wrong on this but I'm not sure the severity of winter has any effect on the ticks at all.
I lived in New Hampshire where it was not unusual to get temps. dropping to -30 below 0 and we still had plenty of ticks up there.
I go hare hunting up in northern Maine in Arroostock County and the last two years up there I've read in their game publication that the moose are suffering big time from tick infestations where they have been found covered with these ticks during the winter????
Here in east Tn.I seem to have considerably less ticks then where I lived in middle Tn.175 miles to the west.Ticks were terrible there! I think where ever you have more/thicker cedars you have more ticks.JMHO.

[undertheradar]

I may be totally wrong on this but I'm not sure the severity of winter has any effect on the ticks at all.
I lived in New Hampshire where it was not unusual to get temps. dropping to -30 below 0 and we still had plenty of ticks up there.
I go hare hunting up in northern Maine in Arroostock County and the last two years up there I've read in their game publication that the moose are suffering big time from tick infestations where they have been found covered with these ticks during the winter????
Here in east Tn.I seem to have considerably less ticks then where I lived in middle Tn.175 miles to the west.Ticks were terrible there! I think where ever you have more/thicker cedars you have more ticks.JMHO.

Agreed.
We rarely get snow on the east coast of VA. But the past 2 winters we've had more than I can ever remember combined. Snow and below temps 2 years in a row, ticks are still bad.

[Beagle Huntsman]

Well, that's my theory since up until 2 years ago we had all kinds of ticks, and the deer ticks, which are new to this area in the last 10 years, we really getting bad. Then we have 2 straight really hard winters and after each I notice very few ticks...still a few, but not even close to what we had before. It's the only way I can explain the difference.

[outrider66]

Seems to be fewer ticks where im at (east central ohio) this year. and the ones im seeing are smaller sized ticks

[dave404]

I said I hadn't seen any but I am now. baby ticks, got one off me this morning

[Casey Harner]

Not finding many on my dogs yet but finding four or so on me when I'm out.