February 10, 2023 | Montpelier, VT - Started in 2017, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture’s Passive Tick Surveillance Program (PTSP) collects information about ticks in Vermont using citizen-collected ticks.
The PTSP is a service provided to Vermonters. With a tick submission you will receive information on the tick’s species identification, life stage, sex, and engorgement rate (approximately how long the tick was attached). All this information can be helpful to an individual and their healthcare provider in determining the correct course of action after a tick bite. This program does not test ticks for pathogens.
Ticks can be from yourself, a child, a pet, or a tick you found in the environment. The date and town where the tick was found are the most important pieces of information to include with your submission, but any other information you may have, such as exact location and habitat where the tick was found, can be very helpful. See the sample submission form for more information.
The ticks you find and submit are vital to helping us build a realistic picture of the ticks living in Vermont.
To submit a sample for identification, you can either send the physical tick in the mail (in a crush-proof container) or you can take up-close clear photos of the top and bottom of the tick and email them to eliza.doncaster@vermont.gov for identification. All submissions are kept in our reference collection and the information collected is added to our database to help us better understand the distribution and activity of different ticks in Vermont.
Contact: Patti Casey, Environmental Surveillance Program | Patti.Casey@Vermont.gov
For more information on ticks and human health, please also visit the Vermont Department of Health’s Be Tick Smart page.