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Why can’t we just kill all the ticks?

Nypost · · 1601 words · By Eric Spitznagel
Scientific Innovation in Pest Control Public Health vs. Ecological Preservation
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What to know about Scientific Innovation in Pest Control

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Claims checked 17
Techniques found 4
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

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Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google The ticks got an early start this year, and they’ve been busy.

Common ground

In April, 105 of every 100,000 emergency-room visits nationwide involved a tick bite, up 52% from the year before.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Straw Man, Appeal to Anger: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/23/lifestyle/why-cant-we-just-kill-all-the-ticks/

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 4 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Straw Man 70% confidence
Misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing straw man helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Anger 70% confidence
Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to anger helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 17 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 7
verified Verified By Reference 5
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule
Claim 1: “It turns out opossums really do kill many of the ticks that try to feed on them”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: “At Wunderlich County Park in Woodside, the figure was more than 12%.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is directly quoted in one web search result ('Why can’t we just kill all the ticks?'), but no other independent source corroborates this specific statistic.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In San Mateo County, about one in every 20 young western blacklegged ticks tested in 2024 and 2025 carried the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. At Wunderlich County Park in Woodside, the figure was m…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/why-t-just-kill-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Lyme Disease and Ticks - Causes, Treatments and MoreTalking With Docs93K views • 2 years agoLivePlaylist ()Mix (50+).Blacklegged Ticks: The Importance of Precaution. OhioDNR. 6.7K views • 8 years ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIitKU1XZFU
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A Western blacklegged tick, which tends to live in tall grasses and wooded areas and can carry a risk of Lyme disease. Find out more about avoiding ticks, removing ticks from your body and how to keep…
https://www.kqed.org/news/12085282/ticks-lyme-disease-califo…
info
Claim 3: “In San Mateo County, about one in every 20 young western blacklegged ticks tested in 2024 and 2025 carried the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is directly quoted in one web search result ('Why can’t we just kill all the ticks?'), but no other independent source corroborates this specific statistic.
travel_explore
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https://www.xnxx.com/todays-selection/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — XNXX delivers free sex movies and fast free porn videos (tube porn). Now 10 million+ sex vids available for free! Featuring hot pussy, sexy girls in xxx rated porn clips.
https://www.xnxx.com/?fmc=1
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — XNXX Today's selection A sexy blonde brought only a swimsuit to the Alps, so I decided to help her warm up, and she was so attractive that I ended up getting undressed while she gave me a blowjob AI] …
https://m-xnxx.com/todays-selection
schedule
Claim 4: “Long Island’s nearly 8 million residents”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 5: “The CDC has been tracking these visits since 2017”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While the CDC is identified as the national public health agency, there is no evidence in the provided results confirming that they specifically began tracking tick-bite ER visits in 2017.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — CDC? is a children's puzzle book written and illustrated by author and cartoonist William Steig. Originally published in 1984, it is a sequel to his 1968 picture book CDB! and is of the same concept: …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDC?
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The CDC 6600 is the flagship of the discontinued 6000 series of mainframe computer systems manufactured by Control Data Corporation. Generally considered to be the first successful supercomputer, it o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDC_6600
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control_an…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 6: “In April, 105 of every 100,000 emergency-room visits nationwide involved a tick bite, up 52% from the year before.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence consists of irrelevant adult content, a Georgia state route, and military aircraft. No data regarding emergency room visits for tick bites was found.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — State Route 105 (SR 105) is a 23.11-mile-long (37.19 km) state highway in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. The highway begins at the Banks–Franklin–Stephens county tripoint, east-so…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_State_Route_105
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 is a light, twin-engine, multi-purpose helicopter developed by Bölkow of Ottobrunn, West Germany. It was the first light twin-engine helicopter in the world, and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MBB_Bo_105
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Republic F-105 Thunderchief is an American fighter-bomber that served with the United States Air Force from 1958 to 1984. Capable of Mach 2, it conducted the majority of strike bombing missions du…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_F-105_Thunderchief
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 7: “Cattle-fever ticks spend all three parasitic life stages on one host”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 8: “In May, that number reached 112.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provided includes a general mention that ER visits for tick bites are up, but does not provide the specific number '112' or confirm the May statistic. Other results are unrelated (US Congress, Project 112).
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 112th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, from January 3, 2011, until January 3, 2013. It convened in Washington, D.C., on Janua…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112th_United_States_Congress
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Project 112 was a biological and chemical weapon experimentation project conducted by the United States Department of Defense from 1962 to 1973. The project started under John F. Kennedy's administrat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_112
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — US Highway 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that runs from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan. In Michigan, it runs for 210 miles (340 km) between New Buffalo and Detr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_12_in_Michigan
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 9: “New York has averaged more than 17,500 new Lyme disease cases annually over the past three years.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence provides general information about Lyme disease and New York municipalities, but does not mention the specific statistic of 17,500 annual cases.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lyme is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 2,185 at the 2010 census. The settlements of Chaumont and Three Mile Bay are located within the town. Lyme is in the w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme,_New_York
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chronic Lyme disease (CLD) is the name used by some people with non-specific symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle pain, and cognitive dysfunction to refer to their condition, even if there is no evidence…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_Lyme_disease
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of municipalities in New York other than towns, which includes all 532 villages and 62 cities of New York State. Of the total 594 municipalities, 587 are non-town municipalities, while…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_New_…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 10: “Long Island covers about 900,000 acres.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 11: “Western fence lizards provide ticks with a blood meal, but their blood can also kill the Lyme bacteria inside a feeding tick.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 12: “White-footed mice help keep Lyme disease in circulation.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 13: “In 1906, federal inspectors quarantined and treated cattle carrying cattle-fever ticks... By 1943, the ticks had been eliminated from the US apart from a permanent quarantine zone along the Texas-Mexico border.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 14: “The rare and potentially deadly infection is spread by the lone-star tick, and there’s no vaccine to prevent it and no medication that specifically treats it.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided regarding the transmission of the Bourbon virus by the lone-star tick or the lack of vaccines/medication.
verified
Claim 15: “New York City reported 2,928 preliminary cases in 2025, up 15% from the year before.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
No evidence was provided that mentions 2,928 preliminary cases in NYC for 2025 or a 15% increase.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of municipalities in New York other than towns, which includes all 532 villages and 62 cities of New York State. Of the total 594 municipalities, 587 are non-town municipalities, while…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_New_…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, situated on the eastern side of the Connecticut River. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The popu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme,_Connecticut
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. It is adjacent to the city of Stoke-on-Trent. At the 2021 census, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newcastle-under-Lyme
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 16: “Now New York’s first confirmed human case of Bourbon virus has turned up on Long Island.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the first confirmed human case of Bourbon virus on Long Island.
info
Claim 17: “The western blacklegged tick, California’s main Lyme carrier, has been found in 56 of the state’s 58 counties.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result from 'A-Z Animals' explicitly states that California has 58 counties and blacklegged ticks have been recorded in them, but it does not specify the exact number '56'. However, it is the only relevant source.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The California Department of Public Health maintains an interactive Web site displaying locations where some public health agencies have collected adult or nymphal western blacklegged ticks and tested…
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/ticks-lyme-disease-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Common Ticks in California. California is home to a large number of tick species, though only a handful of them regularly bite people.
https://www.corkyspest.com/ticks-in-california/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Western blacklegged ticks are a species of hard ticks (ticks with hard cuticles on their backs) native to the west coast of the United States.In the US, it is mainly found in California. The state has…
https://a-z-animals.com/animals/western-blacklegged-tick/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.