NEWVEC Updates

EDITION 03: July 2025

What's new at NEWVEC?

A unique community update for those interested in vector-borne diseases in New England.

Two of NEWVEC’s co-investigators publish in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

“The impact of deer exclusion fencing on host-seeking blacklegged ticks on suburban residential properties in southern New England” was published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

In this article, the authors report their evaluation of residential deer fencing for managing backyard ticks.

Read the paper here.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Tom Mather, URI.

How can you tell which ticks are more likely to pass on diseases?

Learn to identify them!

Tick tip of the month:

Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), also known as deer ticks, are the most common species of tick in New England and the only species that transmits the pathogen that causes Lyme disease.

Tick bites are preventable. Don’t forget to check carefully for ticks and use repellents that contain DEET or acaricides like permethrin. Learn how HERE.

Have you found any ticks this year? Tell us about it at the link below.

Twelve ticks are shown in realistic sizes for three species at each of the four life stages.

Fill out our survey here.

Cervid–Vector Ecology Research Station

NEWVEC opened the Cervid–Vector Ecology Research Station C–VERS) in 2024 as part of a partnership between the University of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife).

The principal goal of C–VERS is to reduce the abundance of ticks on these white-tailed deer in a minimally invasive and safe manner. A long-term goal is to generalize effective methods of white-tailed deer tick control across the greater endemic region.

The herd of three deer is habituated to human contact since they are nurtured by researchers from a young age.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

All C–VERS investigations are performed in compliance with local, state, and federal law and with oversight from the UMass Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), MassWildlife, and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). All photos of cervids on this page are Squarespace stock images.

Welcome our summer intern, Renee Hill.

Renee joins us from Holyoke Community College (HCC) where she studies natural resources. It was here that she learned about NEWVEC’s Summer Academy and having always been interested in insects but never having an opportunity to study ticks and mosquitoes specifically, this three-day program was a perfect fit. Through Summer Academy, Renee connected with NEWVEC staff and scientists and has decided to spend her summer helping in the lab and in the field as she learns tick and mosquito identification, habitat, and the diseases they can transmit.

After she finishes her program at HCC, Renee hopes to enroll in a four-year program at UMass Amherst and later get a masters degree.

Welcome, Renee!

Dr. Rich holds a tick up to his face with fine-tipped forceps.

Upcoming Presentations

At the end of this month Dr. Rich, Executive Director of NEWVEC, will talk about Project ITCH at the Centerville Public Library on Cape Cod.

In August Dr. Rich will present “Envisioning New England After Lyme Disease” at the 42nd Annual School Nurse Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Can NEWVEC help you and your community stay aware of trends in vector-borne diseases this year? Arrange a community tick safety presentation with us!

Calendar

Work-in-Progress (WIP)

On June 25th we heard from our last speaker until the fall, Dr. Goudarz Molaei from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Dr. Molaei’s talk, “The Rising Tide of Tick- and Mosquito-borne Illnesses and Our Research and Surveillance Engagement to Mitigate the Impacts" is available to view HERE.

You can join any work-in-progress discussions by following the link below.

WIP

New opportunities with NEWVEC and our partners.

New jobs are always being posted, including a coveted position with NEWVEC co-investigator Nelle Couret in Rhode Island.

Check out all the jobs posted HERE.

Vector Ed Network flyer for a training in August with a QR code.

Know someone who would like to receive this newsletter? Send them to the link below!

Subscribe to this Newsletter

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!