CASCADE, Mich. — It's the season to be outside enjoying the West Michigan weather.
However, it also means it's time ticks are out and about, looking for the next person or pet to latch onto.
"With the warmer spring, we're expecting earlier tick activity," said Will Miller, assistant professor of biology at Calvin University.
Ticks are a public health issue, as bites from the insects can cause illness in people and pets.
The biggest concern is Lyme disease.
Untreated Lyme disease can cause fever, rash, facial paralysis, arthritis or an irregular heartbeat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
13 ON YOUR SIDE followed Miller and a team of researchers as they conducted a study of tick activity in a Cascade-area park.
"Ticks are usually off the margins of the trail in grass or leaf litter," said Miller. "They have their arms raised and what they’re waiting for is something to come by and brush those arms. Once they feel that, they grab ahold and hang on for dear life."
The team used a method called "drag sampling," dragging a large piece of white canvas across the trail margin. They checked it about every 20 steps for ticks and recorded their findings.
"Pretty normal for experience on this trip on this trail," said Miller afterward. "We're particularly looking for blblack-leggedicks, the ticks that are associated with the Lyme disease-causing bacteria."
They found plenty of ticks, especially those he called "nymphs," which Miller said are a younger life stage of ticks, like a teenage tick. They are about the size of a poppyseed, but still carry the same health risk.
"So this time of year, you're looking for something that's really a big problem, that's really, really small," said Miller.
Miller brings the ticks they find back to his lab to test for diseases.
How to prevent exposure to ticks:
- Create a physical barrier with long pants and shirts, tucking pants into long socks
- Wear an EPA-certified chemical repellent, like DEET
- Check for ticks after being outdoors
- Wear light colored clothing to see ticks on clothing
- Put clothes in a dryer on high for 10 minutes to kill off any ticks
- Shower within two hours of being outdoors
Use tweezers to remove and ticks found on yourself or pets.
To prevent exposure to ticks in pets, talk to your veterinarian about tick repellents and do regular tick checks on your pet.
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