Safeguard your Summer from Ticks at Home and Across Michigan
Michigan is a beautiful place to live in the summertime; however, we share our yards with critters called ticks. Ninety percent of ticks found in Michigan are wood and deer ticks, but we also have American dog ticks, backlogged ticks, lone star ticks, woodchuck ticks and brown dog ticks.
Ticks are unwanted guests in our yards. They are small arachnids with oval-shaped bodies that look light to dark brown to brownish-red with eight legs. When they bite, they spread Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, deer tick virus, anaplasmosis.The parasites commonly spread Lyme disease, and also diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, deer tick virus, anaplasmosis and others.
- All of these ticks can find their way to our yards, except for the brown dog tick. This tick survives and breeds indoors and is often associated with kennel, shelter and breeding facilities and is occasionally present in Michigan. Here are 9 things we can do to prevent tick bites and infections, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. They track tick numbers across locations and years on their website. For more information, go to www.mitracking.state.mi.us
Here are some guidelines from the CDC and Johns Hopkins Medicine to be familiar with here at home and on summer adventures:
- Stay on well-groomed trails
- Avoid areas of high grass, brush and fallen leaves
- Wear light-colored clothing
- Use repellents that contain permethrin on clothing
- Remove ticks from clothing before returning indoors
- Shower soon after returning indoors
- Use insect repellents that contain DEET on your exposed skin
- Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors.
- Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and to some tick-borne diseases. They may also bring ticks into your home. Tick collars, sprays, shampoos, or monthly “top spot” medications help protect against ticks.
For peace of mind, we can have our yards sprayed by a trusted pest control professional. Consider calling Ed O'Leary with All the Buzz Pest Control who wants to build his business here. You haven't met him. He doesn't go door-to-door, but he shows up when you call.