Joellen Lampman

Extension Support Specialist, NYS Integrated Pest Management

Joellen Lampman is an extension support specialist in the New York State Integrated Pest Management program at Cornell University. She says no matter which kind of tick you encounter in New York, there are a few strategies to protect yourself from them.

Lampman says:

“There are now five ticks in New York considered to be health risks. Blacklegged ticks transmit Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, lone star ticks can transmit multiple diseases and cause an allergy to red meat, American dog ticks and Gulf Coast ticks carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and longhorned ticks build up to large numbers quickly.

“Thankfully, the same practices will help keep any of them from making you a meal. There is no one tactic that will work all the time, so think multiple strategies. Wearing long pants and tucking them into your socks make it harder for ticks to reach skin. Repellents and permethrin-treated clothing improve your anti-tick armor. Daily tick checks will help find any that get through.

“More on how to protect yourself from the risk of tick-borne diseases can be found at Don’t Get Ticked NY website.”