Did you know that the oldest known fossil of a tick was found in Sayreville, New Jersey? Found in a piece of amber, it’s around 90 million years old. It is believed that it hitched a ride on a bird that migrated from South America. So, ticks have been a problem in the Garden State for millions of years. They latched on to dinosaurs and they latch onto us. We’ve got some not-so-great news about ticks in the year 2020 but we’ve also got some good news.

First, the bad news. Ticks are set to terrorize New Jersey in 2020. Our warmer winter means ticks didn't die off during the season.
Jonathan Harford/Flickr
According to tick expert and SUNY professor Brian Leydet, ticks did not get their fill last fall. "They’re getting towards the last minutes of their life, so that makes them more aggressive to get that blood meal." Saravanan Thangamani, a disease vector lab director noted that ticks were flooding the lab in January. "That kind of makes me think the season is a little early this time, and that’s an indicator we’ll be swarmed with a lot of ticks."
The most common ticks in the Garden State are Deer Ticks, Dog Ticks, and recently, Lone Star Ticks. Deer Ticks can cause Lyme Disease and Lone Star Ticks can cause Alpha-Gal Syndrome - a type of red meat allergy and STARI, which is similar to Lyme.
Rysgard/Flickr
I could go on about how awful they are but I'm going to focus on prevention and the positives.
Alain Jacquet/Flickr

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To protect yourself from tick bites, stay on trails.
Roger Williams/Flickr
Avoid high grass, wear tick repellent, tuck pant legs into socks, wear light-colored clothes, check yourself and your family thoroughly after spending time outdoors, and shower soon after hiking to reduce your chances of being bitten. Some experts also recommend treating clothes and gear with Permethrin.
If you do find that you've been bitten, remove ticks immediately with tweezers.
Dan Keck/Flickr
As much as I loathe ticks and would love to see them eradicated from the earth, I've found they do have a purpose...
Ryszard/Flickr
Ticks are an essential food source for reptiles, amphibians, and birds.

That’s what I’ve read, but I still think we could do without them. Can’t birds and reptiles just eat other bugs? Of course, I’m not an expert on biology, so… What do you do to prevent bites from these parasitic pests? Here are some tick tips from Johns Hopkins University.

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