Ticks are a growing public health concern across Vermont and the Northeast, but many don’t understand how they live, spread and transmit disease. 

Natalie Kwit, Vermont Public Health Veterinarian, and Patti Casey, Vermont Agency of Agriculture Environmental Surveillance Program Director, explain the fascinating and often misunderstood world of ticks. From their unique life cycle and feeding behavior to the role wildlife plays in spreading tick-borne pathogens, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the tiny arachnids that are reshaping public health across the region. 

You’ll learn how ticks move through the environment, why some species are expanding into new parts of Vermont, and how scientists track both established and emerging tick populations. Patti explains Vermont’s extensive tick surveillance efforts and Natalie discusses the public health challenges posed by diseases carried by black-legged ticks and other species of concern. 

Whether you’re a hiker, gardener, pet owner, outdoor enthusiast, or simply curious about the changing landscape of tick-borne disease, this episode provides essential insight into the ecology, surveillance and public health science behind one of the Northeast’s fastest-growing environmental health concerns.