From The Santa Cruz Sentinel
April 23, 2018
MONTEREY >> As the weather warms and the outdoors calls, some nature aficionados on the Central Coast are reporting more ticks in fields and woodlands than usual. And with ticks come the risk of ailments like Lyme disease, among others.
“Anecdotally,” said Ken Klemme, District Manager for the Northern Salinas Valley Mosquito Abatement District, “for whatever reason, it’s been a really heavy tick year. They’re everywhere.”
According to sampling efforts from Santa Cruz County, the anecdotal uptick hasn’t been verified across the places where ticks are found. But experts recommend caution nonetheless: several local species of ticks can carry dangerous bacteria, and the best way to avoid getting sick is to avoid being bitten in the first place.