Miscellaneous Photo 13

Deceased moose
And, in the end, when numbers of ticks are high, many moose die. We do not know the exact
cause, but nutritional status of moose is a key. Also, weather appears to be the most critical
factor. Specifically, if the preceding April is mild with little or no snow, we know that many of the
Female ticks that drop from the moose, survive to lay eggs. If the weather is bad with much snow
and cold, those females tend to die before laying eggs. Weather in autumn is also important.
We often get October snowstorms that can bury larvae on vegetation.

Photo and text provided by Bill Samuel, University of Alberta, Canada