Areas across Michigan, including Northern Michigan, are seeing an explosion of tick activity this year. As the weather becomes nicer and people head outdoors to enjoy nature,
District Health Department #10 (DHD#10) reminds everyone to exercise proper precautions to prevent human-tick interactions.
Proper precautions include:
- Being aware of your surroundings. Most tick encounters happen in shady, moist wooded and grassy areas and fields near wooded areas.
- Applying EPA-registered insect repellent that contains 20% or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535, to skin or clothing according to label’s instructions.
- Wearing clothing that has been treated with permethrin.
- Walking in the center of trails and avoid walking in areas with tall grass and brush.
- Conducting a full-body check of yourself and your pets for ticks after spending time outdoors.
- Drying clothing on high heat for 60 minutes to kill any remaining ticks.
- Taking a shower as soon as you can after coming indoors.
- Talking to your vet about tick bite prevention products for your pets.
Michigan also offers tick identification resources to residents and visitors for free. Physical ticks can be placed in a container and mailed to MDHHS, or photos may be submitted to MDHHS-Bugs@michigan.gov
Questions regarding ticks and other vectors should be directed to DHD#10’s Environmental Health Division at 888-217-3904.
Additional information regarding ticks and Lyme disease can be found here:
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