A tiny mouse playing a big role

A tiny mouse playing a big role


Chances are you know that ticks spread Lyme disease. But did you ever wonder where the ticks find it?

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria carried primarily by white-footed mice — those tiny, wide-eyed, white-bePllied critters that thrive in forests and wetlands. White-footed mice are also popular hosts to black-legged ticks, the culprits known to transmit Lyme disease.

For some reason, the mice don’t mind the ticks. The mouse immune system is also pretty laid back, allowing bacteria to multiply undisturbed. When immature ticks feed on infected mice, they ingest the bacteria, too, transmitting them to the next human or susceptible animal the tick bites.

One way to protect your health, and that of your animals, is to control the numbers of white-footed mice. That means maintaining habitats for predators so they can do their job.

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