April Snow Won’t Bite Into The Population Of One NH Bloodsucker

Below zero temps this winter, and mid April snow are no match for one of nature's biggest nuisances.

Sorry folks, the tick population will not be affected this year.

If there was one potential silver lining to scraping the windshield of ice, and dealing with mid April snow, it might be the idea we somehow froze out the ticks. That, maybe a walk in the woods with the dogs wouldn't require a major inspection of both of you afterwards. Freezing a tick isn't a thing, as they survive due to insulation provided by leaf cover and snow.  Alan Eaton, a tick expert with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension to the Portland Press Herald, “doesn’t matter how cold it is, they’re under a blanket of snow so they’re protected.”

Snow totals were up, and above average melting snow provided a healthy breeding ground for ticks. More wet weather could make for another harsh season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of Lyme disease cases has increased 30% in the last 10 years. Seven of the 14 states with the highest number of cases are here in the Northeast.