Ticks & Lyme Disease

As the days lengthen and the temperatures rise, hikers won’t be the only ones out on the trails. Ticks will be waiting, ready to hitch a ride and help themselves to a meal of blood. These tiny arachnids can spread infections such as Lyme disease when they latch onto their unsuspecting victims. Their bite is tenacious: they can spend three days feeding thanks to a mouth full of hooks that anchor them in an animal’s skin. Get an up-close look at these tiny barbs, and tips for thwarting them, in KQED Deep Look’s video.