Wis. tick count is well above average

Bloodsuckers are active a month earlier than ’23

As Wisconsin experiences its warmest winter on record this year, ticks are starting to make their appearance earlier than previous years, says the state Department of Health Services.

Surveillance of ticks at the end of February showed numbers the state would expect to see in mid-April or early May, said Xia Lee, a vector borne epidemiologist with DHS.

As warm weather extends the tick season, they are becoming active more than a month earlier this year than last year, said Lee. Despite the early start to the tick season, DHS does not have the data to confirm whether the state hit peak tick activity or if that’s still to come. However, based on last year’s tick surveillance data, Lee said he thinks tick numbers for this summer could be similar to previous years.

Ticks usually live in shady wooded areas and will cling to tall grass and plants. In the past three decades, they’ve really expanded their range farther into southern parts of the state, including Milwaukee. You’re more likely to see ticks in urban areas as deer populations have recovered and expanded and tick populations, which rely on deer as a food source, have increased with them.

Lyme disease is a threat

As ticks become active, Wisconsinites are at a risk of contracting Lyme disease, a bacterial infection spread by deer ticks. Reported cases of Lyme disease have more than doubled over the past 15 years. In 2022, Wisconsin had 5,327 reported cases of Lyme disease, according to DHS. But the actual number of Lyme disease cases in Wisconsin is likely to be higher than reported.

Ticks carry other diseases, too. For a full list, visit cdc.gov/ticks/diseases.

If you think you might have Lyme disease, you should contact your health care provider. CDC recommends a twostep test for Lyme disease using a blood sample.

Most Lyme disease tests work by detecting antibodies made by the body in response to the infection. These antibodies can take several weeks to develop, so you can test negative if you’ve only been recently infected.

If you’ve been bitten by a tick, use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible while gently pulling it up and out. Save the tick in a sealed plastic bag or take a photo of the tick before disposing of it in case you develop symptoms later. You can dispose of a tick by putting it in alcohol or flushing it down the toilet.

Most people do not need to see a doctor immediately after being being bitten by a tick, according to DHS. Taking antibiotics is usually not recommended to prevent illnesses. Monitor for any symptoms for 30 days after removing the tick, and call your doctor if you develop any symptoms.

The symptoms include: fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, nausea and an expanding rash, often in the shape of a bullseye.

How to prevent ticks

Here are some tips to avoid contracting Lyme disease:

● Cover as much as your body as possible; wear long sleeves and tuck shirts into your pants and pants into socks

● Walk in the center of trails where grass and vegetation are mowed

● Wear light-colored clothing so you can see ticks and remove them quickly

● Use insect repellent

● Throw your clothes in the dryer for 10 minutes on high when you get home

● Always check yourself, family and pets for ticks, especially behind the knees, under the armpits and around the hairline, ears and waist

● Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin.

Dogs are especially susceptible to tick bites because they are more likely to run through wooded and grassy areas. Talk to your veterinarian about the best tick prevention products for your pet. Check your pets regularly for ticks, especially after spending time outdoors. Look for ticks around the tail, ear and eyelids, and under the front legs, back legs and between the toes.

The black-legged tick, or deer tick, is the vector of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Deer ticks are present everywhere in Wisconsin where there is forested habitat. Pictured clockwise from top left: nymph, larva, adult male, adult female. Deer ticks have three life stages: the larva becomes a nymph, which then becomes an adult.

COBURN DUKEHART / WISCONSIN WATCH Xia Lee, a postdoctoral vector biologist in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Entomology, shows an adult black-legged tick, in the Susan Paskewitz Lab in Madison, Wis., on Sept. 21. Lyme disease in Wisconsin has grown as the black-legged ticks that cause the disease have spread across the state.