Historically, there aren’t many ticks in Alaska and there’s no evidence that the six native species carry harmful pathogens. But factors like climate change and increased travel have created a more hospitable environment for ticks. Micah Hahn with UAA’s Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies is researching the population. “People are always sending ticks to us,” Hahn said. “Anyone in the State who finds a tick on themselves, on their animals, their personal luggage, or on wildlife, can pull it off, put it in a vial and ship it to our state vet. Then we'll take it out, have an entomologist identify it, and enter it into our database.”