Answer to Question 1The cycle in question 4 is followed by the Western black-legged tick, except that the dusky-footed woodrat,
a common California rodent, is the reservoir for the Borrelia organism in the West
Answer to Question 2In the Northeast and upper Midwest, white-footed mice serve as a reservoir (an immune host) for ticks
carrying the Borrelia organism. These ticks have a two-year life cycle. They lay their eggs in the spring, and
the larvae that emerge feed on white-footed mice. The larvae then remain dormant during the winter and
develop into nymphs the following spring. The nymphs feed for three or four days on white-footed mice and
then move to their preferred host, the white-tailed deer.