The Vermont Agency of Agriculture has a robust tick surveillance program. We have nearly completed a 5-year statewide survey of all towns and gores in Vermont to gather information on what tick species we have in Vermont, what their preferred habitats are, and what the tick density is by town. These ticks have been tested for diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, and Borrelia miyamotoi.
Ticks are collected by flagging and/or dragging a white cloth through leaf litter and vegetation. Questing ticks will attach to the fabric. Ticks are identified and blacklegged ticks are tested for pathogens. Testing results can be found on the Tick Reports page.
