Between 2009 and 2011, behaviour of 15 field roe deer living in agricultural landscape in western Poland was studied using the radio telemetry method. Observed animals were active during the entire day with two distinct peaks – at the dawn and at the dusk. Moreover, night activity was greater than the day one. Such activity pattern may result from frequent human presence in the field roe deer habitat. Throughout the year, the activity rate (locations of active roe deer/all locations ratio) was higher in the agricultural lands than in clumps and belts of trees, which the most likely was the consequence of availability of easily digestible food in the crop fields (during growing season as well as after its end). Furthermore, field roe deer activity in open farmlands was the subject to bigger changes – both during warm months and in the winter it was the highest during the lowest temperature. Such changes were not observed in mid−field places with trees. However, in such places the activity rate was higher during periods of snow cover than during snowless ones.
The article presents the results of researche ( 1999-2000) on numbers and seasonal activity of Ixodes ricinus in selected lakesides and forests habitats of Szczecin and on occurence of the spirochetes Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks. A total of 8065 ticks were collected from 6 localities: 647 larvae, 4549 nymphs, 1624 females and 1244 males. The spirochetes B. burgdorferi were found (using the PCR techniques) in 2271 specimens e.c. 28,1 % whole population. Numbers infected larvae were 216 (33,4 %), nymphs 1215 (26,7 %), females 490 (30,6 %), males 350 (28,1 %). This study shows that examinated habitats where I. ricinus is present are risk areas of human infection with Lyme disease spirochaetes.