Why do ticks appear in May? - briefly
Ticks become active in May as warming temperatures and higher humidity provide ideal conditions for their development and host‑seeking behavior. Adult females emerge to feed on abundant wildlife and humans, then lay eggs before the summer heat intensifies.
Why do ticks appear in May? - in detail
Ticks become active in early spring because temperature, daylight, and humidity reach thresholds that trigger questing behavior. When daily maximums rise above 10 °C and relative humidity stays above 70 %, ticks emerge from leaf litter to seek hosts. Longer daylight periods stimulate metabolic processes that prepare larvae and nymphs for feeding.
The increase in vertebrate activity during this month also supplies blood meals. Small mammals such as rodents and hares reproduce in spring, expanding their populations and providing abundant hosts for immature stages. Deer, which support adult females, increase movement in forest edges, facilitating mating and egg laying.
Key environmental drivers:
- Temperature: Sustained daytime warmth accelerates development from egg to larva and from larva to nymph.
- Photoperiod: Extended daylight enhances hormone production that initiates host‑seeking.
- Moisture: High ground‑level humidity prevents desiccation while ticks are exposed on vegetation.
- Host density: Spring breeding cycles boost numbers of rodents and other mammals, raising encounter rates.
Biologically, the tick life cycle consists of egg, larva, nymph, and adult stages. Each stage requires a blood meal before molting. In many temperate species, the first blood meal occurs in late spring, aligning with the environmental conditions described above. Consequently, the observable surge of ticks in May results from the convergence of suitable climate, physiological readiness, and increased host availability.