Hi everyone, Tattle here!
Hope everyone had an amazing 4th of July and stayed safe from ticks while having fun outdoors. I am back with a new blog discussing some tick related reminders and news!
After several months of stay-at-home orders and chilly weather, it is finally July. Time flies! My mind is still in March! Although the months of peak activity for some ticks like the American dog tick, has passed, it’s still important to keep your guard up. As the sun is out, we all feel the urge to go outside and enjoy the warm weather. However, we have to remember that ticks don’t follow social distancing rules or wear masks! It is important to be cautious when spending time in tick habitats such as prairies and wooded areas. May through August is still normally peak season for catching Lyme disease. Quick reminder that if your pets are catching ticks, then their human owners are likely to have them too. Be sure to check your hair and your body!
A quick guide on how to Be Tick AWARE:
Credit: Global Lyme Alliance
In Illinois, a new friend seems to have moved in, according to researchers at the Illinois Natural History Survey and Southern Illinois University.
Credit: INHS
The Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum Koch) is normally found along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts in the Southeast but researchers believe that migratory birds helped these ticks establish populations here in Illinois. Over half of the Gulf ticks that were tested were found to be infected with Tidewater spotted fever, a disease similar but less severe than Rocky mountain spotted fever. Cook and Champaign County are among the 12 counties which have reported this tick species. Cook County alone has over 5 million residents! This is just another reason to stay vigilant and check yourself for ticks, especially around dry grassy prairies where this tick can be found.
A: Female Gulf Coast tick. B: Male Gulf Coast tick.
Don’t forget to stay healthy and keep social distancing!
Talk soon,
Tattle the Tick
