Ticks

Some ticks maybe tiny and hard to spot, and they can transmit serious illnesses, including Lyme disease and Alpha-gal food allergy, and some life-threatening diseases such as ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Ticks have become common in Virginia and can be active on warm days at all times of the year for a variety of reasons including suburbanization, the abundance of deer in suburban forests, as well as climate change and land development. Therefore, it important that people are aware of the threat posed by ticks and the ways people may protect themselves from these tiny creatures.