According to Dr. Peter J. Pekins’ research, warmer winter months increase the ability of ticks to acquire a moose host and survive winter months. While large numbers of ticks aren’t great for adult moose, they’re especially bad for moose calves, which can die from the onslaught.
Source: New York Times, October 18, 2018. Link. The abundance of moose enables the ticks to survive.
You need a lot of moose on the landscape to have a lot of parasites,” Dr. Pekins said. “That’s the host-parasite relationship.”
INSIGHTS: The take-home message relates to more than moose populations. Cross-species transfer of ticks is more likely when wildlife populations expand their ranges into suburban areas. This story is a compelling example of how ticks are opportunistic when populations are large and when weather trends favor parasites.