Ticks in the Trees: Lyme Disease is Firmly Established in Biltmore Forest

Bilmore Forest -- May 17, 2026: For years, a common piece of folklore in Western North Carolina was that while our woods were full of ticks, we didn’t have to worry about Lyme disease. Local outdoorsmen and homeowners operating under that assumption need to adjust their sails.Recent scientific tracking, heavily highlighted by local investigations and independent research, proves that the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis)—the primary vector for Lyme disease—has marched straight down the Appala