Watch out for ticks

By Jeffrey Hahn, University of Minnesota Extension

ST. PAUL, Minn. (7/7/2008) — Soon, we will no longer be seeing wood ticks (also called American dog ticks). It wasn’t that long ago when you couldn’t go outdoors, especially around grassy, weedy areas without attracting a horde of them. So where do they go?

Knowing their life cycle explains why you see wood ticks in the spring but not in the summer. Wood ticks take two years to complete their development. Eggs are laid in early summer then hatch into larvae. These immature ticks do not feed until the following spring when they turn into nymphs. One rarely encounters either immature stage. After feeding a second time, the nymphs develop into adults during late summer of the second year. The adults do not feed until the following spring when the weather turns warm. Adults are common April through June but die after laying eggs, thus completing their life cycle.

However, while wood tick problems are almost behind us, we should still be aware of blacklegged ticks (formerly called deer ticks) which are present throughout the spring, summer and fall. They have a similar life cycle—they also take two years to finish their development. However, while wood ticks do not transmit disease, blacklegged ticks vector several diseases, especially Lyme disease and human anaplasmosis.

To protect yourself from ticks when you are in areas likely to have ticks, wear protective clothes like long pants and long-sleeved shirts, whenever possible use a repellent (look for one that contains DEET), and check yourself for ticks when you return. Blacklegged ticks need to be actually biting and then need to be attached for at least 24-72 hours before they can transmit any disease. If you pull a blacklegged tick off of you shortly after you have been outdoors for a few hours, it is very unlikely it has given you any disease. If you experience suspicious symptoms, see your physician as soon as possible.

Any use of this article must include the byline or following credit line:
Jeffrey Hahn is an entomologist with University of Minnesota Extension.

Media Contact: Catherine Dehdashti, U of M Extension (612) 625-0237, ced@umn.edu

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