Where does the most intense exposure risk often occur for wood ticks in known harbor areas?
Answer
Transition zones—where woods meet an open meadow
In environments known to harbor wood ticks, such as shrub-dotted hillsides, the highest risk of encountering an active tick is frequently concentrated in 'edge habitats' or transition zones. These areas represent the boundaries where different ecological features meet—for example, where woodlands give way to open meadows, or where trails cut through dense brush. These locations create optimal conditions: cover for the ticks to shelter and quest, and predictable travel corridors utilized by their host mammals like deer or humans.

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