With all the big wildfires happening all over the world the past number of years, the news always shows the carnage but I never see any follow ups as to what those places look like now and what results those fires had on animal populations as well as tick populations.

Grant, you have me totally rethinking my property management. Thank you for all of your content.

In 2005, I bought 101+ acres of cedar & tick infested Texas Hill Country land. 18 years later, I have cut through 10 acres a year with a chain saw, freeing up Oak Motts and grasses and forbes. Deer population is through the roof now along with Turkeys too. Axis deer were rarely seen in my first 5 years. After 10 years of cutting, Axis have now made my place their home. In 2005, there was only about 2-3 acres that you could walk through without being scraped up and bloodied by cedar trees. Now you can walk the whole property. We still have tick infestations in the summer time though. Not sure how to get rid of the ticks. I bought 17 wooded acres in South East Oklahoma last year. I count maybe 5 cedars on the whole place but the 18 year old pines really need thinning so I can get some good deer habitat going. Haven't noticed too many ticks but haven't spent enough time there in the summer to know. Great info Grant, thanks for sharing.

Thank you Grant, excellent interview! Just bought me some hidey hole seeds from u guys with Green Cover. Excited to try them out soon :)

I’ve been sick for almost a month. Dr’s originally told me I had mono. In and out of the hospital on IV’s. After no improvement, a second round of blood work and a smarter Dr, indicated a positive tick born illness called Babesiosis. They said it’s hard to detect some tick born diseases at different intervals.

The main thing I've seen that has an impact on the tick pop. Skunks and ground birds pop. When I have a good flock of turkey around the property and I have skunks on the property I see alot less ticks and yellow jackets

Grant , another great episode as usual and I follow your words closely, might I ask you do a show on Lyme disease and borrelia for us humans ? My son and I was both diagnosed with Lyme disease( Tick borne ) in the past month and more than likely got it in Oklahoma my son spend thousands of dollars and five different doctors to find the diagnosis and it’s very hard to get any correct information and sorry to say the doctors don’t really have the answers or much treatments on how to resolve the disease. Let me tell you no one wants to go through what I’ve been going through for years with undiagnosed chronic Lyme disease it’s affecting my tissue my muscles and cartilage and even my brain and spine.I want to keep positive attitude and continue my journey of habitat improvements for the sport I love.

Grant! You've taught me alot over the years. Totally unrelated but the team should make a quick video of the trophy room! I'm sure it's legendary

Great info Grant

Spending my entire life in N Michigan we never saw a tic 3yrs ago and now they are everywhere. Not much of a habitat change in our area. I’d love to see the reasons for our area.

I have a neighboring property covered in cedar, but I think I’m going to remove every cedar in my woods. Thanks for the education.

Excellent topic and video Dr. Woods. Thanks for sharing. More food for thought in managing my land.

I'm in Kentucky and I've seen more ticks this year than ever even with all the dry weather we had.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and keep your videos coming, we really appreciate them.

Grant, great info! I hope folks in the north don't confuse eastern red cedar with northern white cedar, also known as arborvitae. Northern white cedar is a very important tree species in the north and provides both food and thermal cover for deer. Thanks!

We have free-ranging chickens and turkeys and we haven't seen ticks on our property in three years.

This gives me one more reason to remove the cedars. Our place is in south central OK, near I-35. The last two years the Lone Star ticks have been horrible on our property! Thanks for the info!

Birds and mammals will dust bathe and ash is a Dessicant . People used to make ash mounds that spanned a 12' x 12 ' area on the edges of woods and fields for a dust bathing area . This reduces Tick Populations when the animals use these . Ever see videos of elephants using their trunks to blow dust on their bodies ? Have you ever watched horses go out in a dusty area and roll around ? This is what they're doing , getting a layer of dust on their bodies to prevent pestilence , animals and birds do this naturally . Just don't use hot ashes , let the ash go cold and then refill your areas for dust baths .

You made learning about ticks interesting. Impressive 😂 good stuff

Very informative

Very informative! Thank you

I'm in leasburg Mo. And the ticks here are worse than any place I've ever seen. Not uncommon to get 20 or more on me on a given day while I'm the woods.

Lots of them till mid summer then gone in western il. We have had extreme drought.

Thanks for the info, we sure do have many more ticks now than ever...

This is part of why places like NJ and the pine barrens of southern NJ have such a tick and lyme disease problem. There have been very little fire in the last 50 years, relative to what was historically, and thus tick populations have exploded.

Exellent information!!!!

I know Bruce's parents from East White Oak Bible Church. Good to see him on here.

When I saw the title”why are tick populations increasing”, I though they were going to talk about Congress

I don’t agree with all of their statements. I live in Maine and it’s not the deer that spread the ticks really. It’s the white footed mouse. Also, it’s been VERY rainy this year and we have had virtually no ticks. Come this fall that could all change if it dries up some. I suppose extreme weather either dry or wet is bad for ticks. Our tick population is insane. Back in 2000 and prior it was very rare to get a tick on you. Now it’s a guarantee you will get 1 minimum every time you enter the woods.

My stepfather died from Lyme’s, bartonellosis, and babesiosis. Here in AL- ticks are a big problem

Hunting and food plotting in piedmont SC I have never had a tick bite me in 6 years hunting and only had a couple on pant leg when scouting through thick brush. I’ve seen some ticks on deer I’ve shot but one I shot last year I didn’t see any on it.

I didn’t think this video would be all that interesting. Boy was I wrong. Super helpful.

Here in Michigan I never had ticks on me as a kid 30yrs ago, now I have to soak my clothes in permethrin or else I’d be covered in them…could it be from loggers not burning after a cut? Or lack of forest fires?

Thanks for tackling this important subject- how to reduce tick populations or at least avoid them! After working with our farm over the past 20 years I have a few observations about the role of Eastern Red Cedar. First it is important to note that our farm was over grazed by cattle for decades so the soil is very damaged and compacted. We attempted to plant the more desirable plant species such as hardwood trees, raspberries, and much more. Almost nothing would grow in the pastures beyond cedars and grass. What we see happen is that after the Cedars get well established, they improve the soil fertility to the point that other species can move in. Berries will move in around the edges of them and Black Walnuts will come shooting up through the cedars. We also see many dead, mature cedars in the woods, but very few growing. What all of this means in that the role of cedars is... A) it is an early succession species tough enough to grow were little else can B) it is often one of the few natural and affordable options landowners have to move the landscape towards more desirable and diverse species C) While it is slow, it can be a widespread improvement. I would ask, "Are Red Cedars the problem in relation to ticks, or more of a symptom of a damaged landscape?" My hunch is that if we allow the natural succession to unfold we develop a more diverse ecosystem, both in plants and animals. This greater diversity naturally balances out the over populations of undesirable species.

So... if i keep some cedars, keep them spaced out so theres plenty of air flow between them?

Everytime I see that fawn with all those ticks it breaks my heart... Dang it.

Indiana is bad with ticks this year

Grant Woods, what information have you learned about ticks and chiggars, aka red bugs, biting people and causing an allergic reaction to red meat ?

The alphagal protein syndrome, or whatever the scientific name is, is becoming an issue from ticks here in ky. I personally know of 3 people within the last year that have had to cut red meat completely out, due to a tick.

Control burns....Control ticks

Grant, if I cut and chip up my cedars and spread the chips, will that also hold the moisture and foster tick habitat? Or should I just burn 'em? Thanks, Bill C.

The sky is falling sky is falling,says chicken little.🤪