Tick tock: It's time for parasite to make seasonal appearance
May 20—With spring comes new life, from adorable animals to beautiful blossoms — and pesky parasites.
Ticks are among the bugs that require some caution as people enjoy outdoor activities. While not usually a problem in most urban or suburban areas, they can become an issue during outdoor adventures into areas with a lot of wildlife.
"Typically if you are living in the city, you take care of your backyard, you don't have pets out running around all the time and there is no abundance of wildlife, you won't have a tick problem," said Tim Smith, administrative specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation's Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center. "You may have some ticks, but you won't have a (significant infestation)."
The Four-State Area is not part of any emerging trends for new tick behavior, but northern states are on alert. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that as climate change causes warmer temperatures across the country, ticks are able to prosper, which means that the windows for them to transmit diseases open wider.
Ticks can carry bacteria and viruses that cause conditions such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and erlichiosis. A more recent condition is Alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy that can be transmitted through a tick bite.
Missouri is home to three common species of ticks — Lone Star tick, American dog tick and deer tick. Commonly described as about the size of a sesame seed, ticks can be anywhere from a sixteenth to a quarter of an inch, according to information from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
They are commonly found in woodlands, tall grasses, weeds and brushy areas, and most common in overgrown vacant lots and the weedy edges of paths and trails. They are most active from April to July, according to the department, but can be encountered almost any time of year.
Ticks feed on blood from mammals, according to the MDC.
Instead of jumping or flying, they crawl to the end of a stem, leaf or branch, hold on with their hind legs and use the rest of their legs to hitch a ride on a passing food source. Using that process, called "questing," they get picked up by creatures who simply brush up against where they wait, according to the department. That means they can be brought inside a home by people or their pets.
Anyone who spends a day outside should check themselves and their pets for ticks, Smith said. Repellents that use DEET are also effective for use while outside.
"The best thing to do is to check yourself every day after you get in from outside, after mowing, weedeating or taking a hike," Smith said. "Especially around your ankles, waist and armpits."
The most common symptoms from tickborne diseases are fever and chills, aches and pains, and rashes, according to the CDC. Those symptoms can develop over a few weeks after a bite is detected. If symptoms develop, the CDC encourages people to consult their health care providers.
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