Michigan Tick Season Now Starts Earlier

Ticks, and the diseases they carry, have become more of a health concern in our area over the years, and now we're starting to see cases of tick bites in our offices even earlier in the Michigan tick season. Here’s a quick guide to help keep you, your family, and your pets safe from tick bites this summer.

Ticks are parasites that feed off the blood of humans and animals. They prefer to live in warm humid conditions, and they die off in the winter. Our changing and warming climate is making our area more desirable and now they're more abundant and start to appear earlier in the year. Ticks could be active in our area anytime from April through the first frost of the season.

You are most likely to encounter ticks in wooded areas, near tall grass, any type of leaf litter, gardens, or any moist shaded area.

If you are ever walking or working in these types of areas, it's important to protect yourself by wearing light colored clothes, pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. If you are walking on a wooded path, try to stay in the middle of the path. Using insect repellants such as Permethrin (which can be applied to clothing) or DEET/picaridin (which can be applied to the skin) are also helpful. The National Forest Foundation created an excellent overview of how to avoid ticks and what to do if you are bitten.

If you are bitten by a tick, the foundation instructs that you “Grab the tick as close to the skin as you can with a clean pair of twisters and pull firmly. Don’t twist or grab the tick on another part of the body or the burrowed head may not come out. Once the tick has been removed, wash your hands and the bite site with soap and water and swab the bite with alcohol. Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet or placing it in a sealed container.” You can also visit us at any IEP Urgent Care location, and we will take care of safely removing the tick for you.

The good news is that most tick bites do not lead to serious disease. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, they are increasing, and so are the odds that one tick could carry multiple pathogens. Lyme disease is the most common infection that ticks transmit in our area.

For pet owners, it’s important to make sure your dog is taking regular flea/tick medication. Many vets recommend year-round treatment, not just in the summer months.