Occurrence of Larval Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) on Tree Trunks

Host-seeking larvae of blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say, were found on the trunks of 7 species of trees in a mixed deciduous woodland in Maryland. Where larvae were present around the bases of trees, larvae were found on 45.8% of the tree trucks. Almost 15% of the larvae found on tree trunks were approximately 1-2 m above the ground. Larger trees harbored larvae more often than smaller trees. Trees having a circumference at breast height of > or = 1 m (0.96 m diameter) averaged 3.19 larvae. Because white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque), the principal hosts of I. scapularis larvae, frequently nest in trees, it may not be detrimental to host-seeking larvae to ascend and remain on tree trunks.