No evidence video shows 'box of ticks' dropped on US farms

"Land Owner accuses Helicopter Operator of dropping Boxes of Ticks on their farm," claims text over a video shared May 15, 2026 on Instagram.

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Screenshot of an Instagram reel taken May 22, 2026

The video spread rapidly across platforms including X, TikTok, Threads and Rumble, after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in late April a higher than normal number of visits to emergency rooms for tick bites in many parts of the country (archived here).

It is the latest in a series of conspiratorial posts about tick propagation, including a March 31 TikTok that racked up more than 10 million views. When questioned by the fact-checking organization Snopes, the influencer could provide no evidence for her claim that boxes filled with ticks were found on farms in the US state of Missouri, and multiple state officials debunked the assertion. 

Podcaster Joe Rogan further amplified the narrative during a May 7 interview with US Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee, where the host told his listeners he had seen "videos of these people finding boxes of ticks."

But there is no evidence the helicopter video is related to ticks. 

Keyword searches traced the clip to a now-unavailable TikTok from the account @rowdyholler. In the video, which AFP watched via several duets, a woman's voice can be heard questioning why the chopper is hovering above her "top field." She makes no mention of ticks. 

AFP contacted an email address for an account with the same handle on Facebook seeking more information about the footage, but a response was not forthcoming.

Several posts placed the footage in the Appalachian region of the state of Kentucky.

Tick populations are increasing in the state, said Beth Fisher, deputy executive director of the office of public affairs for the Kentucky cabinet for health and family services (archived here). However, she told AFP in a May 27 email: "The Kentucky Department for Public Health is not currently aware of any credible evidence to support claims that 'boxes of ticks' are being distributed anywhere in Kentucky."

Others claimed the helicopter was linked to the US Department of the Interior, but when contacted on May 22, a spokesperson told AFP the US Geological Survey -- its branch tasked with studying the nation's lands and resources -- has no "surveys or research missions being conducted in the region."

Studies have found the prevalence of ticks is rising for numerous reasons including a warming climate, deforestation and urbanization which breaks up formerly continuous forests, as well as increases in populations of key animal hosts, particularly the white-tailed deer (archived here, here, here and here). 

Lyme disease vaccine

On X, additional posts linked the purported "boxes of ticks" to a plot to increase demand for a new vaccine for Lyme disease.

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Screenshot of an X post taken May 28, 2026

However, a vaccine is not currently available (archived here).

French vaccine company Valneva and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer are developing a Lyme disease vaccine candidate. The results of Phase 3 clinical trials were announced in March 2026 with the companies saying it "demonstrated more than 70 percent efficacy in preventing Lyme disease" and "was well tolerated with no safety concerns identified" (archived here).

In a May 25 email, Pfizer told AFP the trial increased confidence in the product and the company "is planning submissions to regulatory authorities."

The CDC estimates some 31 million people are bitten by ticks each year in the United States and some 476,000 patients are treated annually for Lyme disease (archived here and here).

Antibiotics are the most common treatment for the disease, but experts push tick bite prevention measures as the best practice to avoid getting sick (archived here and here). The condition can affect the heart, joints, and nervous system (archived here).

Lyme disease, the country's most common tick-born illness, has long been the target of conspiratorial claims.

Read more of AFP's reporting on health misinformation here.