The spring season is just beginning. So far, we experienced a day of summertime heat of 80 degrees and a few days in the seventies and above – Fahrenheit temperatures. We also have had cool if not downright cold mornings with frosty windshields! One weather event that we have not experienced yet is copious amounts of rainfall. The National Weather Service Central Region Climate Outlook long range weather forecast of March through May for Northwest Ohio shows warmer than normal temperatures with slightly above moisture patterns. If this weather forecast remains accurate then we can expect a rapid explosion of ticks in Northwest Ohio.

Ticks are pests of significance that can affect the health and well-being of people, their pets, and livestock. Ohio now has five species of ticks known to vector or spread diseases to humans: the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis), the Deer Tick, also known as the Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes scapularis), the Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum), and these two new ticks: Asian Longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), and Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum).

The main problem with ticks is that they carry diseases that affect both pets and humans. The American Dog Tick is the most common and largest tick in Ohio and is the primary vector or carrier of the bacteria Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The American Dog Tick can be identified by their reddish-brown color with sliver-white markings on the upper body regions of the backside just behind the head. The Gulf Coast Tick has markings very similar to the American Dog Tick and vectors a spotted fever called Rickettsiosis. The Blacklegged Tick also known as the Deer Tick is the vector of the dreaded bacterial Lyme disease in Ohio. Adult Deer or Blacklegged Ticks are chocolate brown in color and are smaller in size than American Dog Tick. The other tick of importance to humans in Ohio is the Lone Star Tick. The Lone Star tick vectors the bacteria Ehrlichiosis.

The Asian longhorned tick is a major livestock pest. It can transmit Bovine Theileriosis and Babesiosis infection in animals. Asian longhorned ticks are considered a possible vector for severe fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV), which is an emerging infectious disease in China.

Ticks are most likely to be found in grassy pasture or meadow-type habitats, often along the edges of paths and road right-of-ways including ditch banks. Other locations include wooded habitats. Ticks need certain environmental conditions to reproduce and survive. Ticks thrive in locations of high humidity and consistent temperatures including residential landscapes when properties have tall, grassy areas.

As temperatures rise people are enjoying parks to exercise and walk their pets. These areas along park paths where tall grass or brush is present are prime locations to pick up ticks, especially the American Dog Tick, so take care to check yourself and pets upon returning from outdoor activity and use proper tick-prevention on your pets. Most tick populations peak in April through mid-July. However, the Deer Tick can be found year-round, including the winter.

For personal protection when working or hiking in tick-infested areas, cover the skin as much as possible by wearing long sleeve shirts and long pants with the legs tucked into socks. There are many ticks approved repellants that are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency that are available for home use. Common repellents on the market have the active ingredient (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) with the shorten chemical name called DEET. DEET like other repellants does not kill ticks but prevents them from attaching to treated areas of the skin.

Should a tick attach to a pet, or human, remove the tick at the head area with tweezers and pull it straight out slowly. Do not grab the body of the tick with tweezers and yank or twist a tick out. Also, never burn a tick out because crushing or burning the tick forces toxic chemicals out of the tick and into the human body prior to removal. Seek immediate medical attention if a rash develops around the tick bite area within 2 to 10 days after the first bite. For tick prevention and bites on pets, consult your veterinarian.

Finally, if a pesticide is needed for your lawn, apply a liquid formulation as opposed to a granular formulation of products that have either of these synthetic pyrethroids active ingredients of permethrin, bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, or lamdacyhalothrin to the edges of mowed areas. Treatments along paths or trails can also be effective in reducing tick numbers. A band of 10-20 feet should be treated along the edge and into the brushy or grassy area with sufficient volume to wet the ground. Remember to always follow labeled directions on any pesticide product.

For more information on Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, refer to Ohio Department of Health on the web: https://odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/zoonotic-disease-program/diseases/tickborne-diseases.