Ticks are present in our environment anytime temperatures are above freezing, but they’re especially active as temperatures get warmer in spring and summer. If not removed promptly from the skin, ticks can transmit numerous diseases including Lyme disease, a serious but treatable illness.
Esteban Cuebas-Incle, an entomologist for the Northeast mosquito control district states “deer ticks, the common vector for Lyme disease have a two-year life cycle. Year one, they grow from egg to larva, they hibernate over the winter and in year two they turn from nymphs to adults”. 98% of Lyme disease cases are associated with nymphal ticks.
Ticks are tiny (Young ticks are about the size of poppy seeds, adults are the size of a sesame seed) and are most commonly found in brushy, wooded or grassy areas, including backyards, in fact 75% of Lyme disease infections come from activities around the home like playing in the yard and gardening. This helps explain why the highest incidence rates are among children aged 5-9 years and adults aged 65-69 years.
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Check yourself, your children and pets for ticks after coming inside from densely vegetative areas. Pay special attention to areas between the toes, back of the knees, groin, armpits, neck, along the hairline and behind the ears. If you find a tick attached to your skin, use a pair of fine point tweezers to grip the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out with steady pressure.
For more information on tick-borne illness surveillance and prevention, please visit www.mass.gov/dph/tick or call the Mass DPH Epidemiology Hotline at (617) 983-6800.
