Summer 2017
TickSmart Newsletter
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In this issue:

  • Tick-pocalypse? Here’s the latest tick activity so you can be prepared.
  • Common tick removal myths
  • TickSmart tools – New magnets!
Tick Forecast
You’ve likely heard more than one news story about how this summer (2017) is slated to be the worst tick season of all time. But, now that we’re in it (summer, that is), it might be a good time to ask if all the predictions are true.

The story leading up to those predictions is complicated. It started with a bumper crop of acorns that occurred last year (Fall 2016) and sent rodent populations (in particular white-footed mice) in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest skyrocketing. Since immature blacklegged ticks feed on these animals and potentially become infected with the Lyme disease germ while blood feeding, the prognosticators reasoned that those conditions would result in more ticks and more infected ticks, increasing the chance for disease this summer. A late winter (2017) warm spell, indeed, brought out tons of leftover adult stage blacklegged ticks, providing even more fuel to the tickpocalypse scenario. Truth be told, early springtime was indeed ticky—in May, our TickSpotters crowdsourced tick survey saw an increase of 1,000 more submissions than the previous May. But, what about summer? It turns out that the devil is in the details when it comes to tick life cycles.

Larval stage blacklegged ticks emerge and begin blood feeding on rodents in late July and they continue through August. But last season’s acorn crop didn’t really start dropping and feeding rodent reproduction until early September and on into October. Maybe the rodents could see all of the acorns hanging in the trees and started fornicating in faith ahead of the food bounty…but probably not. Anyway, it’s true that mice and chipmunks had plenty to eat and survived the winter with record numbers, but that acorn-induced swell in rodents did not feed those August larvae destined to become this summer’s nymphs. Maybe next year. And what about those early-arriving leftover adult ticks? Well, their season ended pretty much by the middle of May; they were mostly dead by Memorial Day.  The take-away of it all is that, at least in our region, blacklegged ticks and the chance for Lyme disease stands about on par with average for our typically highly endemic region.

It was a ticky Spring though, and it actually has been a ticky summer so far, but the leading culprit has not been the blacklegged tick vector of Lyme disease. Instead, this has been the summer of American dog ticks—so many American dog ticks! But American dog ticks DON’T give people or pets Lyme disease. No matter though…no tick bite is ever good, so all we can say is that if you live where ticks do, don’t panic but do KEEP UP YOUR TICKSMART ACTIONS , everyday!
 
Two day-fed nymphal blacklegged (deer) tick.
Image credit: Brian Mullen, TERC
Current
Continuing their activity through July will be nymphal stage blacklegged ticks the size of a poppy seed – making them very difficult to see! To make matters worse, in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest regions, approximately 25-30% of nymphal deer ticks are carrying a disease that can cause serious illness (Lyme disease, babesia, and anaplasma are just some of the germs that blacklegged ticks carry). Because they’re sensitive to humidity levels and can dry out easily, you’ll encounter these ticks at ground level on the edges of trails, near rock walls, or anywhere that’s shady and moist. A good way to avoid encountering both adult and nymphal ticks on trails is to stay in the center, and avoid walking in or brushing up against the vegetation along the edges.

If you live in the southern, southeastern, Midwest, or mid-Atlantic regions of the country, keep an eye out for nymphal and adult Lone Star ticks from now through August. These ticks are slightly larger and more round than nymphal blacklegged ticks, and while they don’t transmit any of the germs that blacklegged ticks do, 1 in 10 of these aggressive biters could be carrying the germs causing ehrlichiosis in humans, dogs and cats, as well as the unknown germ behind southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI). Although rare, bites from Lone Star ticks also have been known to trigger an allergy to red meat in humans, causing a reaction that can range from hives to anaphylaxis. These ticks can be found in similar habitats to nymphal deer ticks, usually in areas with dense undergrowth.

Both adult American dog ticks and all stages of Rocky Mountain wood ticks are VERY ACTIVE at this time of year. While American dog ticks can be found throughout the country, they are much more prevalent in areas east of the Mississippi River, while wood ticks are really only found in, you guessed it, the Rocky Mountain region and the great Northwest. We’ve been getting LOTS of reports of American dogs ticks, so make sure to be on the lookout for them when in open sunny areas like scrubby fields in addition to along trails because they’re not as sensitive to humidity. While American dog ticks DO NOT transmit Lyme disease bacteria, they are responsible for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and tularemia depending on where you live. These diseases are rare in the Northeastern United States but more common in southeastern and especially south-central states. Rocky Mountain wood ticks look similar to American dog ticks but the bite of all life stages can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever virus, and occasionally adult females can cause a tick saliva-induced ascending paralysis that goes away after 24-72 hrs. of the tick’s removal.

We’re still getting occasional reports of adult western blacklegged ticks, but their activity will be dying down along the Pacific coast. Studies have demonstrated that around 2-5% of both adult and nymphal western blacklegged ticks are infected with the Lyme disease bacteria and can also transmit anaplasma and babesia.

Because all ticks climb up, you should regularly check your entire body carefully and focus tick checks for ticks in areas both above AND below the belt. Where ticks end up on you frequently depends on where they first latch on. Nymphs latch on at the shoe level and usually don’t make it north of the belt line, while adults end up on the upper portion because they typically start at knee level. For tips on where to check most thoroughly, check out our Tick-Bite Locator.

May is often the “tickiest” month of the season.
Here’s a comparison of what our TickSpotters program has received in May for the past four years. 
Looking ahead
Larval blacklegged ticks
Image credit: Brian Mullen, TERC
Starting at the end of July and continuing into early fall teeny, tiny, six-legged larvae will be emerging. Bites from most larval ticks are generally nothing more than an annoyance since they don’t hatch infected with diseases. However, studies have found that depending on location blacklegged tick larvae can hatch already infected (a process called transovarial transmission) with Borrelia miyamotoi, bacteria that cause a relapsing fever. However, it is currently unknown whether larval blacklegged ticks are capable of transmitting these bacteria to humans.

Though we’ve had a few reports already, larval Lone Star ticks will mainly hatch onto the scene in the eastern, southern, and Midwestern parts of the county in August. Fortunately, these larvae are pathogen-free but their bite is still capable of potentially triggering an allergy to red meat, as well as a pretty annoying (and sometimes long-lasting) itch response. Given that you’ll probably not just encounter one larval tick, but rather a whole lot at once, it’s important to wear tick repellent clothing. If you happen upon a swarm of larval ticks, you can tackle them with duct tape. Yet another use for this ubiquitous tool! 
Removing larval ticks with duct tape. Image credit: Brian Mullen, TERC
 

Bonus Summer TickSmart tip


Treat your outdoor summer clothing and shoes with effective permethrin spray .  The spray will not stain or leave an odor on clothing once it has dried. One treatment using Sawyer permethrin spray lasts for up to six weeks or six washes, whichever comes first.

  1. Wearing disposable gloves, spray clothing article with permethrin until saturated.
  2. Let dry overnight.
  3. Wear your TickSmart clothing to prevent ticks from latching on and climbing aboard.

We recommend treating your shoes on the first of the month in May, June, July, and August. Spraying your socks in time for larval tick season is also a TickSmart idea because they are so tiny, they can  crawl right through the fabric ! You can also purchase tick-repellent clothing, or send your own favorite outdoor clothes away to be  treated professionally .  
 
If you do encounter a tick, make sure you know the proper way to  remove it  with a pair of pointy tweezers. And once it’s removed,  don’t throw it away ! Save that tick (you may want to have it tested), snap a picture, and submit it to  TickSpotters . 

Common Tick
Removal Myths
Social media can be a great place to share helpful information, but it can also be a place where inaccurate information can spread rather quickly. Below we set the record straight on some common myths surrounding tick removal. 

Image credit (right): André Karwath   
  1. The tick will detach if you put oil/Vaseline/water/hot match on it.
             A few months ago, a story circulated online that instructed tick bite victims to douse a tick in peppermint oil to get it to detach. We also often receive emails from people telling us that they used the age old “hot match trick”. It is never a good idea to put anything on the attached tick as these treatments can agitate the tick and cause it to potentially regurgitate even more germs into you. The safest and best removal method is grabbing the tick as close to the skin as possible with a fine-tipped tweezer.

2. Any tweezer will do.
             Similar to the addition of a substance onto an embedded tick, using tweezers that have a blunt edge (e.g. eyebrow tweezers) can squeeze the tick’s body and squeeze into you more of the diseases it may be carrying. If you don’t already have a pair of pointy tweezers, check out  TickEase or  ProTickMe .

3. Leaving the “head” in leaves you at risk for tick-borne disease.
             One of the most frequent comments we get at TickSpotters is from people concerned that they removed the tick but may have broken off the “head.” While it is certainly an uncomfortable thought to have part of a tick remaining in the skin, rest assured that so long as the body is not attached, the mouthparts no longer pose a danger of disease transmission. It’s best to not attempt to dig them out yourself because this could infect the area with everyday bacteria that’s on your skin and result in an infection. Clean the bite area thoroughly with soap and water or an alcohol swab and keep an eye on it. The mouthparts should eventually fall out like a splinter, but if you’re concerned you should see your physician.

4. Think the tick was only attached for a few hours? Maybe, maybe not.
             Simply because you just noticed the tick doesn’t mean the tick just showed up or has only been attached for a few hours. Quite often, the tick is overlooked until it’s been feeding for a few days and becomes visibly engorged. For this reason it’s important to conduct thorough tick checks after every time you’ve been in tick habitat. You also can check out our resource showing how ticks’ appearances change as they feed to become more familiar with their growth patterns.

5. Any redness at the tick bite site is a sign of disease.
            Not every “rash” is a Lyme rash. Generally, the initial redness that occurs around the bite site is simply a localized immune response. It can be red to a deep reddish purple in color, and sometimes itchy. This response also changes depending on the type of tick that bit you and how many times you’ve been bitten in the past. Lone Star ticks do not transmit Lyme disease but can deliver a very irritating bite. If you’ve been bitten by a blacklegged tick and the redness begins to expand, however, you should seek medical attention and mention your tick bite as this could be a tell-tale sign of Lyme disease.

  Check out our recommendations for how to ensure a safe tick removal.

TickSmart Tools
  Wondering how to spread the word about ticks this summer? We’ve got you covered! Stock up on materials and tools to help support your community’s TickSmart effort. We have informative and eye-catching “I Just Found a Tick” handouts that include how to report a tick encounter to our TickSpotters program for a quick risk assessment report (usually in 24-36hrs.). If that tick IS risky, instructions are given on how to submit that tick for disease testing at our partnering UMass labs. We also have magnets, shower cards, educational kits, and other products available for purchase.

We also have newly-designed tick ID magnets (left) for purchase! Keep one on your fridge, leave some at the library, the community pool, or have your kids give them out at camp. It’s always a good time to get TickSmart and summer is a particularly good time, as ticks are frequently top of mind.

           
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