Warmer winters and earlier springs mean longer periods of tick activity

LANSING – Michigan’s landscape is diverse, ranging from vast forests to urban areas, providing habitat for a variety of wildlife, including ticks.

These small arachnids have long been a public health problem due to their ability to transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis.

Climate change has altered environmental conditions and transformed patterns of tick activity.

“We’ve been taking them off dogs all year long,” said Karina MacIntosh, the owner of Classy Canine, a pet grooming business in East Lansing. “People don’t realize that it only takes one or two warm days (before ticks take over).”

Traditionally, ticks in Michigan are most active during the warmer months, usually from late spring to early fall.

However, with rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns associated with climate change, the dynamics of tick populations are evolving.

Warmer winters and earlier springs have led to longer periods of tick activity, expanding their habitat and increasing their numbers.

“Michigan has never really had a break (from ticks this year),” said Jen Summers, a veterinary technician at the Goodison Veterinary Center in Oakland Township.

Veterinarians across the state are urging dog owners to use preventative medications and check for ticks after outdoor recreation, regardless of the time of year.

Michelle Volk, a Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, studies the genetic diversity of black-legged ticks and tick-borne pathogens in the state. In 2020, she started making TikToks about her work and has amassed over a million views on her account @ticks_of_tiktok.

“People are surprisingly interested in ticks, and I enjoy science communication. But there is a big educational and outreach aspect to it,” Volk said.

“The more I posted TikToks about ticks and tick prevention, the more clear it became that a large portion of the public doesn’t know many or maybe only a few things, depending on where they grew up.”

Black-legged ticks, which most commonly transmit infectious diseases, have been found in more than 35 counties across the state and reported in as many.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, only two of Michigan’s 83 counties, Crawford and Roscommon, have no confirmed risk of Lyme disease. Twenty years ago, black-legged ticks were known to only occur in five provinces.

“Even in the four years I’ve been here, we’ve found ticks in four new counties, which is great for us as researchers — not so great for the people of Michigan,” Volk said.

Volk’s most popular video, with 1.1 million views, shows how ticks in their natural state can appear as tiny dots that attach to the tops of grasses. Other videos show researchers collecting tick samples by dragging fabrics through the forest.

“Some people think it’s dirty. Some people like to hear about cool science,” she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends knowing where to expect ticks before heading off the trail, using EPA-registered insect repellent, wearing full-coverage clothing and always checking your body after going indoors .

“Check your slits,” Volk said.