The time required for a tick to pass Lyme bacteria to a host has been debated for many years, and oversimplified public health messaging has led to a false sense of security when ticks are believed to have fed for a day or less. In this introduction to a series of posts on pathogen transmission, we summarize some of the main factors that affect transmission times.

Where are ticks during the winter, and what are they doing? Here’s a brief overview of how host-seeking and types of dormancy vary across tick species.

A few days of mild temperatures and sunshine are always welcome in the middle of winter, but that brief thaw can invite ticks to try their luck when we aren’t on high alert for bites.