People enjoying the outdoors are likely to run across some ticks.
Ashley Johnson, a Nurse Practitioner at the Aspirus Tick-Borne Illness Center in Woodruff, says tick season got off to an early start this year, with some ticks already being reported in March
The tiny, blood-sucking parasites that can pose a significant threat to human and animal health by spreading diseases.
Johnson talked about the ticks commonly found in the north.
“The first one is the wood tick. Those are the larger ticks,” said Johnson. “The second one is the deer tick, which is the one that is most known for transmitting Lyme disease. And then we do have a third tick that is pretty rare, but that one is called the lone star tick. And it is starting to migrate north, but it is mainly found in the Southern States.”
In order to prevent tick bites, you want to prevent them from getting onto your skin. Some tips include:
- Tuck your pants into your socks
- Wear tall boots if you’re going out into the woods
- Use bug sprays with at least a 30 percent Deet concentration
- Perform daily tick checks anytime you’re done spending time outside
- Throw your clothes in the dryer for 20 minutes on high heat which will kill any ticks that are potentially on your clothes
- Treat your pets, especially dogs that sleep in the beds, as they’re a high risk for bringing ticks into the home
Tall grass, woods and fields are all areas where you’re more likely to pick up a tick.
May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
