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Tick Surveillance, Water Year 2024-2025

A person with a backpack stands on a misty forest trail, looking up, surrounded by lush trees and greenery.
Vector ecologist Arielle takes a pause from tick flagging to admire the view.

Tick Collections from parks, 2024-2025 Season (November 2024 through February 2025)

Laboratory staff continued winter surveillance for adult Ixodes pacificus (Western black-legged ticks) in February. Ticks are collected by “flagging,” or dragging a one-meter square sheet of white flannel over the vegetation alongside trails. Ixodes pacificus ticks will be tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi (the causative agent of Lyme disease), as well as Borrelia miyamotoi (the agent of hard-tick relapsing fever) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (the agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis).

Seasonal tick surveillance was conducted at Edgewood Park and Pulgas Ridge in Redwood City, Los Trancos Open Space near Portola Valley, and Wavecrest Open Space in Half Moon Bay.

 Tick Collections from parks and neighborhoods, 2024-2025 Season (through January 2025)

Park/Neighborhood

Nearest City/Town

Number of Ix. pacificus adults

Windy Hill Open Space Preserve

Portola Valley

412

Wunderlich Park

Woodside

377

Edgewood Park

Redwood City

735

Crystal Springs Regional Trail

San Mateo

113

Laurelwood Park

San Mateo

242

Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve

Redwood City

255

Wavecrest Open Space

Half Moon Bay

 53

Page last reviewed March 6, 2025

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