Memorial Day has come and gone, so summer is unofficially here. If you’re like us, you’re outside enjoying the beautiful weather. But being outside means you can encounter creepy crawlies, including ticks.
Many areas had a milder-than-usual winter. While a mild winter is pleasant in the moment, it can cause a bug problem come summer, including for ticks. And ticks aren’t just annoying. They carry serious diseases.
ER visits from tick bites are at the highest seasonal level they have been in years. They are at their highest since 2017. People are concerned about Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.
"Warmer, wetter conditions allow ticks to survive in habitats that previously would have been too cold," said Dr. Suraj Saggar, chief of infectious disease at Holy Name Medical Center. "Milder winters also extend the lifespan of both ticks and the animals they feed on, accelerating tick reproduction and shortening their life cycles."
Some illnesses caused by ticks can be fatal. Powassan virus can be transmitted within minutes of a tick biting and has a 10 to 15 percent fatality rate. Alpha-gal syndrome, which is caused by the lone star tick, causes a severe allergy to red meat that can cause death from anaphylactic reactions.
The weather can tell you a lot about your tick risks. Just like a mild winter increases the overall number of ticks in the environment, wet, rainy days encourage them to be more active. You are safest from ticks on hot, dry days.
You can protect yourself and still enjoy outdoor activities. You should wear an insect repellent with at least 20 percent DEET. Light-colored clothing that covers your arms and legs and closed-toed shoes prevent tick bites. And avoid walking through tall grass and overgrown areas. If you own a yard, mow your lawn and clean up yard debris regularly so ticks can’t make themselves at home. They don’t like woodchips and gravel. Making a three-foot barrier of woodchips or gravel around outdoor areas like patios can keep your family safer. And, if you have a wood pile, keep it away from your home.
As a last line of defense, check yourself, pets and kids for ticks before entering the home. Ticks like to hide in armpits, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, in the groin area and throughout hair, so be thorough. If you find a tick, use tweezers to remove it, grabbing it as close to the skin as possible. Pull upward with steady pressure and clean the bite immediately afterward. You want to try to avoid leaving any mouth parts in the body. If any portion of the tick is stuck in the skin or you have any signs of illness after it has been removed, seek medical attention.
This year, more than double the number of people than usual are going to the hospital for tick bites. To avoid being part of that statistic, don’t avoid going outdoors, but take precautions when enjoying the outdoor world.
