JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Weed and Pest District (TCWP) is seeking Citizen Scientists to participate in Tick Blitz 2025. Tick Blitz 2025 will take place May 16 and 17, and Citizen Scientists may participate either or both days. Training and materials will be provided.
Worldwide, mosquitoes kill more people than any other animal through vector-borne diseases, but in the United States 77% of vector-borne diseases are transmitted by ticks. More than 40,000 individuals are diagnosed with a tick-borne disease each year in the United States.
While ticks and tick-borne diseases are widely studied in the eastern United States, little is known about them in the Rocky Mountain states. Previous studies indicate that Teton and Sublette Counties have high rates of Colorado Tick Fever Virus in resident ticks. However, widespread and long-term surveillance has been lacking in this area.
TCWP launched a tick surveillance program in 2024 with the goal of better understanding tick species diversity and distribution and the prevalence of tick-borne diseases in Teton County and Wyoming. The program consists of both active surveillance (planned, standardized surveys) and passive surveillance (collecting ticks found on people or animals). Through the passive surveillance program, the public has submitted an astonishing 442 ticks so far for identification and pathogen testing.
While these submissions are incredibly impactful, additional active surveillance is essential to further understand which tick species are present and what pathogens they may carry. This concerted, two-day surveillance effort will supplement routine surveillance conducted by TCWP staff and passive surveillance submissions.
Citizen Scientists will be trained in surveillance techniques, and materials will be provided by TCWP. To find out more about the Tick Blitz and Citizen Scientist requirements and training, visit tcweed.org/ticks.
