GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As temperatures rise in West Michigan, health officials are now warning that tick season is anticipated to start sooner than usual.
Brendan Earl, supervising sanitarian with the Environmental Health division of the Kent County Health Department, said this is due to Michigan's warmer-than-average winter.
"When you have mild winters like this, and the frost doesn't get very too deep into the ground, and many more adult (ticks) that come out when it gets about 40 and above, ready to bite people," Earl said.
Not only are officials expecting tick season to begin earlier—but more ticks will be active.
"We're really expecting with his mild winter, that we're going to have a lot of ticks out there this year," he said.
Earl said there are steps you can take to help prevent tick bites.
Landscaping your yard can help cut back on ticks that get into your yard. Earl said it's recommended to keep at least a three-foot barrier between your lawn and woods or high grasses. This could include a stretch of very short grass, rocks or mulch. Lawn treatments can also help repel ticks from your yard.
When you're heading outdoors, Earl recommends wearing layers and using bug repellent that includes DEET. While other bug sprays can work, he said DEET is the ingredient that best prevents tick bites.
Lastly, when you're done outside, Earl said you should thoroughly check yourself and your clothes for ticks.
If your pets were outside, they should also be checked before coming indoors. Certain medications can also prevent your pets from being bitten.
If you find you were bitten by a tick, Earl said the first step is to identify what type it is.
"Don't get rid of it, if one that you've found that has attached to you, because each different tick species could carry no disease, or it could carry certain vector-borne diseases like the blacklegged or deer tick that carries Lyme disease," he said. "So make sure you keep that tick."
Earl said a tick can even be brought to the health department to be identified and learn if there is a risk for certain diseases.
While Earl is encouraging West Michiganders to be careful and vigilant, he said you shouldn't let that prevent you from getting outdoors this year.
"We want people enjoying the outside," he said. "And this is just one thing to keep in mind."
You can learn more about tick season in Kent County and how to prevent tick bites here.
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