Experts sound alert over Lyme disease

HACKENSACK, N.J. - The tick - that perennial nemesis of outdoor lovers - is back again, and physicians for both humans and their pets are counseling caution against the Lyme disease it carries.

Tick habitats include brush and woodland, where they attach themselves to the ubiquitous field and forest mice and deer. Deer ticks, also known as black-legged ticks, are the smaller species and transmit Lyme disease. Wood ticks, also known as dog ticks, are prevalent as well.

A big problem is that ticks are active year-round and don't even go into hibernation unless ground temperatures are below 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

The...