Years with heavy oak acorn crops boost mouse numbers, which in turn raise nymphal tick numbers about 40% the following year. The effect appears two years after the mast event, showing a clear lag between tree fruiting and tick abundance. This pattern was uncovered through 35 years of continuous data from a New York forest study.
The finding offers a tangible early warning: monitoring acorn production could help predict periods of heightened Lyme exposure. However, the study was site‑specific and other factors—weather, predator dynamics, human behavior—also influence tick populations, so the link may not hold uniformly elsewhere.
more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/11/261106174518.htm
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