Ticks in Michigan

The American dog tick is the tick Michigan residents find most often. It is brown with white or gray markings, common in grassy fields and along trails, and most active from spring into midsummer. It can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, though cases in Michigan are uncommon. It does not spread Lyme disease.

The blacklegged tick, also called the deer tick, is smaller and can carry Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Its range has spread in Michigan, with notable activity in the western Lower Peninsula along Lake Michigan and in the Upper Peninsula, and it is turning up in more counties over time. Nymphs, as small as a poppy seed, cause most Lyme infections because they are so easy to miss.

The lone star tick has been reported more often in southern Michigan in recent years. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services offers tick identification, which can help if you are not sure what you pulled off yourself, a child or a pet. A clear photo or the tick itself is usually enough.

Ticks become active once temperatures stay above freezing, often in March or April in the southern Lower Peninsula and later up north. Nymphs peak from May through July. Adult blacklegged ticks are active again in fall and can be found on warm days in October and November, even after leaves drop. A mild winter day can bring them out too.

Ticks wait on tall grass, brush and leaf litter for a host to brush past. They do not jump or fall from trees. Yards next to woods, brushy edges, stone walls and areas with steady deer traffic carry far more risk than open mowed lawns in full sun. Mice and chipmunks living in woodpiles also feed young ticks.

Use an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus on skin, and treat clothing and boots with permethrin, following the label. Do a full tick check after time outdoors, including the scalp, behind the knees, armpits and waistband. Shower within a couple of hours of coming inside and run clothes through a hot dryer.

In the yard, keep grass short, rake leaf litter away from the house, and add a strip of wood chips or gravel between lawn and woods. Keep swing sets and patios away from wooded edges. A licensed applicator can treat the border areas where ticks concentrate, usually in spring and again in fall.

If you find an attached tick, remove it with fine-tipped tweezers by grasping close to the skin and pulling straight up with steady pressure. Do not use heat, petroleum jelly or nail polish. Watch for a rash, fever or aches over the next few weeks and talk to a doctor if they appear.