Abundance of ticks increases Lyme disease fears

Perched on blades of grass, or burrowed into the fur of mice and deer, they're waiting to latch on to a human for their next meal.

Barely bigger than a freckle, ticks are out in force in summer months, and they're carrying nasty diseases they can pass on to humans.

Experts say both the abundance of ticks and the prevalence of Lyme disease are increasing in this area.

"I'm seeing more ticks than I have in years," said Dr. Michael Raupp, an entomology professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. "Ticks are going to be on the way up."

And prime tick season - May through September - coincides with the prime...