Your article on ticks was well done. You might want to add an update.
We recently had an American dog tick, dermacentor variabilis, on us. They are found most often east of the Rocky Mountains, generally in the central part of the U.S., but have been found as far north as Canada. Their peak feeding season stretches from mid-April to early September.
In search of food, these ticks are drawn to the scent of dogs and they will commonly lay in wait in well-travelled trails where it is easiest for mammals to traverse.
It does not carry Lyme disease but does carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever (can cause serious damage to your internal organs such as kidneys and heart), tularemia (potentially fatal) and can cause canine tick paralysis if attached to neck or near the animal’s spine.
Gail Peter