PREVALENCE OF DEER TICKS (IXODES SCAPULARIS) ON WHITE-FOOTED MICE (PEROMYSCUS LEUCOPUS) IN FOREST FRAGMENTS

Effects of fragmentation on distribution of ectoparasites of mammals are not well understood. A previous study reported higher nymphal tick (Ixodes scapularis) densities in smaller than in larger fragments. We tested whether there was a higher prevalence of ticks on white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in small forest fragments in an agricultural landscape. We observed a lower prevalence of ticks on mice in smaller than in larger fragments. Differences in infection rates between fragments, use of fragments by white-tailed deer, and agricultural history of landscapes could contribute to the apparent differences in tick abundance between this study and that reported previously. Resolution of the apparently contradictory data will require that the abundance of host-seeking ticks and prevalence on mice be measured in both landscapes.