Mice, Acorns, and Lyme’s Hidden Drivers | Baton Rouge News

Lyme disease’s real driver might not be deer after all—new research reveals white-footed mice are the key to tick outbreaks, with acorn harvests triggering a two-year lag in tick surges. While other animals like skunks and squirrels also feed ticks, mice dominate infection rates. Surprisingly, extreme weather doesn’t kill ticks—they just burrow underground. Meanwhile, lone star ticks are expanding their range, carrying diseases and triggering alpha-gal syndrome, an underdiagnosed red meat allergy now tracked in 14 states. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d9141a1dcbe1ea0c