" This time of year black legged ticks, commonly known as deer ticks, are an unwanted guest. This year, as we saw last year, we are experiencing an especially bad tick season. Here in the northeast deer ticks are especially a threat as they can cause Lyme Disease. What is Lyme Disease? Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferiand and is spread to humans by ticks. Ticks (a parasite) survive by finding a ...