Hot and dry weather across the Carolinas, particularly in Charlotte, is contributing to the increase in the tick population. Dr. Rafael Vieira, an associate professor of epidemiology and community health at UNC Charlotte, has noticed a difference in the local tick population, but it is not a trend that is consistent with data already collected. He is working with Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation to monitor public parks and nature preserves to identify where the ticks are, what kind of species they are, and what diseases they carry. The ticks that transmit Lyme Disease are also on the rise, with experts suggesting that ticks that carry dangerous illnesses are spreading south.