LANDSCAPE PATTERNS OF ABUNDANCE OF IXODES-SCAPULARIS (ACARI, IXODIDAE) ON SHELTER ISLAND, NEW-YORK

Nymphal Ixodes scapularis Say, the vector of Lyme borreliosis, was mos t common in forested areas across Shelter Island, Suffolk County, New York, and least common in xeric habitats such as beach and grassland. At the scale of individual house yards, nymphs were most common at woo ded edges of property and least common on lawns. The abundance of tick s at yard edges was positively correlated with numbers on lawns and in landscaping, suggesting that tick abundance in woods affects abundanc es in adjacent yards. Because 57% of all yard area is adjacent to wood lands on Shelter Island, public health efforts to reduce tick populati ons in wooded areas should supplement efforts by individual yard owner s to decrease risk. Methods to tick control for woodlands should also be evaluated for their effect on tick populations in adjacent yard hab itats.