SENECA CO., N.Y. — The New York State Tick Blitz is a community-based science program to help scientists identify the distribution of ticks across the State. This year the Tick Blitz is taking place between June 12 and June 23 across New York State. Cayuga County is one of nine targeted counties in the central-finger lakes region of New York. Volunteers can help detect ticks that are important to human and animal health in Cayuga County on June 14 on the Auburn Trail. Several tick species are moving northward and westward across New York State and researchers every year need help tracking their location.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County in partnership with Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development is hosting a Tick Blitz event at the Auburn Fleming Trail on Wednesday, June 14 starting at 5:00pm. Volunteers will use special equipment to help collect ticks and send them to Cornell researchers who will identify the species.
“Ticks can be dangerous to people in Cayuga County such as the black legged tick that transmits lyme disease, but there are two new ticks that present other dangers, the Asian longhorned tick and Lone star tick” said Ryan Staychock, Environmental and Natural Resources Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension. “Scientists need to know if they are in Cayuga County so managers, people and farmers can respond appropriately. The Asian longhorned tick can cause disease in cattle, and we are not sure if this tick is in Cayuga County.”
If you want to learn more about ticks and help collect ticks in Cayuga County please register for the Wednesday, June 14 event. Volunteers will be asked to attend a virtual training session on June 6 from 12:00pm-1:00pm or on June 7 from 6:00-7:00pm. For more information, please contact Ryan Staychock at 315-539-9251 ext.110 or by email ryan.staychock@cornell.edu.
With over 100 years of serving the people of the County, Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension puts to practical use the scholarship and research of Cornell University and the national land grant system in the areas of agriculture and food systems sustainability; nutrition, food safety and security, and obesity prevention; 4-H youth development, and children, youth , and families; environment and natural resources, sustainable energy and climate change; and community and economic vitality. The office is located at 308 Main Street Shop Centre in Waterloo. For more information about this and other programs, please visit our website: www.senecacountycce.org, our Facebook pages: @CCESeneca, @SenecaCounty4HNY, @WildHarvestTable, @CCESenecaF2S, and contact us at 315-539-9251 or email seneca@cornell.edu.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension Seneca County