GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Many consider Memorial Day weekend to be the unofficial kickoff to summer, but it’s also a time when something not so enjoyable ramps up: tick season.
A study by Pest Gnome ranked Wisconsin the fifth-most vulnerable state for tick-borne illnesses. The study took into account total Lyme disease cases, amount of area covered by forest, distribution of ticks, average number of extremely hot days, farmland acreage and exterminators per 10,000 homes.
Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services says ticks in the Badger State can spread anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.
The most common types of ticks that can bite people and animals in Wisconsin are the deer (black-legged) tick and the wood (dog) tick. The lone star tick is less common in the state.
If you’re spending time outdoors this summer, DHS recommends:
Using repellant on skin and clothing
Wearing long sleeves, long pants and tall socks
Tucking shirts into pants and pants into shoes or socks
Wearing light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to see
Avoiding direct contact with ticks
Checking for ticks after being outdoors
Creating tick-safe zones
Using pesticides outdoors
May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
Comments