UMaine awarded $1.8M to research tick mitigation through invasive plant removal

Ticks and invasive species are plentiful nuisances in Maine. In pursuit of mitigation efforts, a joint team of researchers from the University of Maine and Vermont State University are exploring if both can be controlled with a single solution. The team received $1.8 million from the National Science Foundation to conduct five-year research spanning entomological, biological, and social sciences. The study builds on research suggesting that invasive plant species create prime habitats for ticks. Thickets create humid areas with stable temperatures favored by ticks. The theory is that removing the invasive plants will result in lower tick population densities. If true, this would be a win-win, Allison Gardner, associate professor and one of the project’s principal investigators, said.