doing some more research after posting. Both the honeysuckle and Japanese Barberries (introduced as an ornamental) are also invasive species, which helps tick/Lyme populations.

There are more culprits, including honeysuckle, and the Japanese barbary.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2973004/

We predicted there would be more ticks in plots dominated by exotic-invasive shrubs (such as Japanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii DC) than in plots dominated by native shrubs, ferns, or open understory.....There were twice as many adults and nearly twice as many nymphs in plots dominated by exotic-invasives than in plots dominated by native shrubs. Both adult and nymphal counts were lowest in open understory with coniferous litter. Adults were positively associated with increasing litter depth, medium soil moisture, and increasing abundance of white-footed deer mice, Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque, and deer pellet group counts.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19689875/

In many Connecticut forests with an overabundance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC) has become the dominant understory shrub, which may provide a habitat favorable to blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis Say) and white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque) survival..... Adult tick densities in dense barberry were higher than in both controlled barberry and no barberry areas. Ticks sampled from full barberry infestations and controlled barberry areas had similar infection prevalence with B. burgdorferi the first year. In areas where barberry was controlled, infection prevalence was reduced to equal that of no barberry areas the second year of the study.

image source: https://bygl.osu.edu/node/1726

honeysuckles
img source: fosc.org
https://mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/invasive-plants/japanese-honeysuckle-control

This aggressive vine seriously alters or destroys the understory and herbaceous layers of the communities it invades, including prairies, barrens, glades, flatwoods, savannas, floodplains, and upland forests. It may become established in forested natural areas when openings are created from treefalls or when natural features allow a greater light intensity in the understory. Japanese honeysuckle also may alter understory bird populations in forest communities.

Here is an article concerning honeysuckle, Rocky mountain wood tick, deer, and ehrlichiosis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2973004/
the presences of honeysuckle promotes deer population, and likewise their ticks in that geography, and the spread of ehrlichiosis. Nothing here is mentioned of the white footed mouse, perhaps because they are unnecessary.