Birds?
I know they carry a lot of parasites, but I’ve read that the main hosts for the Lyme/babesia/anaplasmosis/erlichiosis carrying tick of the Northeast are mice, deer, and other rodents.
Not arguing, just fact gathering.
Incidentally, I’m recovering (I hope) from a dual babesia/Lyme infection. Never knew I was bitten, no rash. So I assumed it was a summer virus for several weeks before getting checked out. Dumb.
God, I am really vey sorry for you.
I hope you can get it controlled.
:(
The newly hatched ticks MUST find an infected host at a particular stage, yes, generally rodents, however, they will crawl onto anything that they can manage to, after that and then step off in a better place for large animals passing by.
The dogs always got ticks on them every time they went up near the blackberry thicket that many birds sheltered in.
I cut down the thicket and moved their food and no more ticks.
They have other shrubs for cover in the front yard and have since moved out there, instead.
There’s lots of possums out there so I reckon the ticks don’t have much of a chance, anymore.