Community
Program Contact
If you are interested in learning more about the New York State Tick Blitz, reach out to our team at tickblitz@gmail.com!
New York State Tick Blitz
We are gearing up for the 2023 New York State Tick Blitz!
Access details below about which counties we will be focusing on for this year’s Tick Blitz, how you can sign up to volunteer, and where you can learn more information about this community-based science event!
What is the Tick Blitz?
Purpose
We are conducting a Tick Blitz in the Hudson Valley and Central regions of New York State to understand where different tick species are present in the state and track their northward expansion.
How Does it Work?
- Individuals who register to participate will attend online and/or in-person trainings to learn how to properly and safely collect ticks in their community
- Volunteers will receive a kit in the mail or pick one up at their local Cornell Cooperative Extension office. The kits will have everything they need to collect and return tick samples and protect from tick bites.
- Volunteers will collect ticks at a dedicated location of their choosing at least once between June 12 and June 23, 2023
- Collected ticks will be mailed back to Cornell University where they will be identified by our team of entomologists. Results will be made available online and shared with event volunteers.
When and Where?
Tick collections will happen between June 12 and June 23, 2023.
Targeted counties include:
- Long Island: Nassau - Suffolk
- New York City: Bronx - Brooklyn - Kings - New York - Queens - Richmond
- Mid- and Lower-Hudson Valley: Delaware - Dutchess - Orange - Putnam - Rockland - Sullivan - Ulster - Westchester
- Capital Region: Albany - Coumbia - Greene - Rensselaer - Schenectady
- Central New York and Finger Lakes: Monroe - Onondaga
How Do I Sign Up?
Registration for the 2023 New York State Tick Blitz will open in spring 2023. Stay tuned!
Information and Training
Training Webinars
Two training webinars for the 2022 New York State Tick Blitz were scheduled for Wednesday June 8 from 6 - 7pm ET and Thursday June 9 from 12 - 1pm ET. You can access the recordings from these trainings through the links below.
Wed. June 8 Training Recording Thurs. June 9 Training Recording
Guides and Materials for Participants
Quick Reference Guide
The quick reference guide is a PDF document where you can find key information for the Tick Blitz Week. The guide includes slides from the training webinar with a few updates, and more detailed instructions on storing and mailing the ticks!
Additional Resources
Tick Blitz FAQ - Answers to frequently asked questions you may hear from passers-by when you sample for ticks
Landowner Permisson Record - Form to use when sampling on privately-owned property
Tick Sampling Guide - Guide for collecting ticks from the field
To Do At Home - List of things to do once you are home after a day of sampling for ticks
Tick Storage - Instructions on how to store the ticks
Mailing Ticks - A guide for how you will mail the ticks back to Cornell
Tick Blitz Kit Return - Instructions on what items in the collection kit you will keep and which you will return to Cornell
Collection Results
Results from the 2021 and 2022 New York State Tick Blitz events are now available! Follow the link below to see where we collected ticks across the past two years.
