Ticks are back in season, and Ohio has more of them than ever before.
While these blood-sucking insects don’t deliver painful bites, they can transmit diseases like Lyme disease, viruses, and other infections to animals and people. Ohio has seen a rise in the number of ticks and tick species. With this increase comes a rise in the number of Lyme disease cases among Ohioans over the past decade.
Here’s what to know about ticks in Ohio and how to prevent bites when outdoors.
How bad are the ticks in Ohio? Experts report massive uptick in recent years
“We have a huge problem with ticks in Ohio,” Tim McDermott, assistant professor at Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences told WOSU News. “We’ve gone from one tick of medical importance to humans, companion animals and livestock about 15 years ago to five now, including adding two new ticks to Ohio in just the past couple of years.
“You can encounter a tick pretty much anywhere in Ohio. I will say the hot spots are going to be the eastern half of Ohio and the southern part of Ohio.”
McDermott said that Ohioans are seeing a general spread of ticks in the state and in the region, citing factors like climate change and wildlife movement as factors.
Ohio has Lyme-disease carrying blacklegged deer ticks year-round
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) says that blacklegged ticks aka deer ticks (responsible for most cases of Lyme disease) are active throughout the year in Ohio. “The onset of human Lyme disease cases occurs year-round in Ohio but peaks in summer following the emergence of nymphs.”
American dog ticks and lone star ticks are also present in Ohio and can carry risks. Here’s what they all look like:
Ohio’s most common tick types.
Ohio State’s new ‘Tick Testing Lab’ helps you identify ticks
Ohio State University’s new Tick Testing Lab service allows people to submit a tick found on themselves or animals to test for pathogens that can cause diseases in Ohio.
For non-urgent medical or veterinary tick concerns, Ohioans can submit ticks to the tick testing program by mail and receive results within 72 hours. The cost of the service is $49.99 per tick. Alternatively, ODNR says that your local health department can also identify ticks.
Bitten by a tick? Here’s how to safely remove them
If a tick bites you, ODNR recommends carefully removing it from your skin using tweezers. Ohio Department of Health provides additional guidance:
Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
Pull away from your skin with steady, even pressure.
Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouthparts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouthparts easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.
Wash your hands and the bite area with soap and water.
Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish, or any other ‘folk’ remedies to remove a tick. These methods do not work.
The CDC also provides an interactive tool for tick removal.
How to prevent tick bites
To avoid tick bites, the Ohio Department of Health recommends the following tips:
Avoid areas where ticks live
Cover up to keep ticks off your body
Check your whole body for ticks
Thoroughly check your clothing for hitchhiking ticks
Watch for symptoms of illness such as rash, fever, chills, aches and pains
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ticks spreading in Ohio. Expert tips on how to remove ticks, avoid them