Tick and mosquito season is coming for Michigan: What to know

Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press
·5 min read

Michigan communities, the time has come again. Soon, bugs will invade houses, flower beds — and even your peace of mind. How do you prepare for the influx of ticks and mosquitoes this spring and summer? Local officials have some suggestion.

What to know

According to the Washtenaw County Health Department, ticks typically come out in weather above 40 degrees and mosquitoes are already making their way to being active during this part of spring.

“The best way to avoid mosquito- and tick-borne illnesses is to prevent bites,” Kristen Schweighoefer, MPH, RS, environmental health director for the Washtenaw County Health Department, said in a written statement. “Tick season is already here. If any community member finds a tick attached to their body, they should remove it right away and monitor their health. If any symptoms like a fever, rash, or muscle or joint aches develop, contact a medical provider immediately."

Washtenaw County Health Department participating in Vector-Borne Disease Surveillance Program

In partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the health department will collect and identify mosquitoes and ticks to help begin understanding local disease risks and provide data to the statewide tracking system.

In addition, the health department will also conduct "tick drags" in areas to collect ticks for identification and Lyme disease testing. Deer ticks or black-legged ticks, which can spread Lyme disease, are being collected.

By the end of May, the health department plans to also set up mosquito traps throughout the county for the following mosquitoes: Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culiseta melanura and Coquillettidia perturbans, which has the ability to transmit Zika and Eastern Equine Encephalitis viruses plus additional diseases.

The mosquito traps will have signage from the health department. Residents are requested not to disturb the traps that are placed throughout the community.

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How are ticks and mosquitoes affecting Michigan residents?

According to the health department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lyme disease is the most vector-borne disease in the United States and it spreads locally. The health department said in a news release that there were 61 cases of Lyme in Washtenaw County residents in 2022. Within those cases, 44 of them were exposed to Lyme bacteria in Washtenaw County in 2022, which is an increase from 32 in 2021.

The health department added that Lone Star ticks have been identified in Washtenaw County this year as well. They are becoming more common in the Lower Peninsular over the last decade. These ticks have the ability to transmit ehrlichiosis, which is a bacterial infection with flu-like symptoms according to the CDC.

Lone Star ticks also have the ability to transmit tularemia (an infectious disease also known as rabbit fever), Bourbon virus, Heartland virus and southern tick-associated rash illness. They also hold an association with alpha-gal syndrome, also known as red meat allergy. However, Lone Star ticks do not transmit Lyme disease.

West Nile virus cases are pretty sporadic in recent years according to the health department, and there hasn't been a case in Washtenaw County since 2018. However, in 2022, the county had a case of Jamestown Canyon virus encephalitis.

Michigan had activity of EEE in 2020, 2021 and 2022, but not in Washtenaw County. In 2016, the county saw three travel-related cases of Zika from residents. Since then, no confirmed cases of the disease have been reported in the county.

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How to prevent tick and mosquito bites

These tips are provided by the Washtenaw County Health Department on ways to prevent tick and mosquito bites.

Mosquito bite prevention

  • Use insect repellent and make sure to follow label instructions. Find a repellent that will work for you using the Environmental Protection Agency insect repellent search tool.

  • Make sure to wear long sleeves, shoes and socks when outdoors.

  • Repair screens on your home to keep mosquitoes out.

  • Don't keep standing water around your home. Once a week empty flower pots, barrels and items that can hold water.

Tick bite prevention

  • Using a hand-held mirror, do a full-body search to see if any ticks got on you after being outdoors. It's suggested that parents check children under their arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist and, especially, in the hair.

  • Use an insect repellent with 20% or more DEET, or ingredients that are shown to be effective against ticks. Just make sure to follow label instructions.

  • Wear long sleeves, shoes and socks when outside.

  • Avoid busy and wooded areas that contain high grass and leaf litter. Make sure to walk in the center of trails.

  • Try to bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming inside from outdoor activities.

  • Check your pet and their gear for ticks. Also, make sure to do tick checks on pets regularly, and talk to your veterinarian about tick prevention.

How to identify a tick bite

Using tweezers, grip the body of the tick firmly and pull straight out of the skin, do not twist the tick. Once it's removed, clean the bite area and wash your hands. Flush the tick down the toilet to dispose of it, according to the health department. It does not have to be kept for tick testing.

If the tick has been attached for less than 24 hours, your chance of getting Lyme disease is quite low.

MDHHS offers tick identification for Michigan based on photos at no charge. To submit a tick for identification, email the photo to MDHHS-Bugs@michigan.gov, additional information can be found on its website.

However, MDHHS does not offer tick testing for residents because the results do not predict infection. The organization instead suggests that if you are bitten by a tick, monitor for symptoms such as rashes, fatigue, fevers, headaches, muscle pain and joint swelling within 30 days of the tick bite, and if illness occurs seek medical attention.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tick, mosquito season is coming for Michigan: What to know