Ticks
Ticks are becoming more active this spring, especially wood ticks, also called American dog ticks, Dermacentor variabilis. These ticks are probably the most common tick encountered in Kansas and they are most common in grasses around field borders and areas with trees.
The unengorged American dog adult tick is about 1/8th - inch long, brown to tan, with obvious white mottled markings on the back. It can feed on cats, dogs, cattle, horse and other large mammals, including man. The male tick feeds sparingly and does not engorge. Females engorge on blood and increase markedly in size often of to ¾-inch. American do ticks are of importance because they can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Rickettsia rickettsia) to dogs, cats and humans and Cytauxzoonosis (Cytauxzoon felis) - an often fatal blood parasite to cats. The American dog tick can also cause tick paralysis.
Controlling ticks is important not only because they are nuisance parasites of humans and animals, but also because they are vectors of a variety of microbial pathogens. Since they can transmit several diseases they should be carefully and safely removed, head intact, before feeding occurs for more than a few minutes, if possible.
According to the CDC, a tick can be safely removed using the following four steps:
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
- Never crush a tick with your fingers.
The tick should NOT be twisted or jerked out of the skin because this might cause the head to become detached and left in the skin. Use of a lighted match or covering the tick in Vaseline or nail polish are not recommended. Ticks removed from people should be saved in a vial with alcohol and labeled with the date. If flu-like symptoms - including headache, skin rash and fever - occur 10 to 14 days after tick removal, see a physician immediately and take the tick with you or send it to the local K-State Research and Extension office. You can find more information at: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html.
There are also several other types of ticks that can also be more than a nuisance too. This includes:
- Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) - This tick is named for the easily recognizable single white spot on the dorsal shield of the female. Males do not have the white spot, but have a few short white to yellow lines on the edge of their dorsal shield.
- Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) The brown dog tick is reddish brown in color, lacking the dorsal marking seen on the American dog tick and lone star tick. It is also a three-host tick but larvae, nymphs and adults can all successfully feed on dogs. It is the only species of tick that infests human dwellings and kennels in North America.
- Black-Legged Tick - The black-legged tick is the vector of Borrelia burgdoreferi (Lyme disease) in the central and eastern United STates, and also the vector Anaplasma phagocytophilum (human granulocytic ehrlichiosis).
Personal protection, awareness and sanitation are good practice to prevent illnesses. It is a good idea to avoid going to tall grass, weeds and brushy areas and to restrict pets from such areas. Light colored clothing helps to see ticks before they can reach the skin. Repellents based on DEET (N, N diethyl-meta-toluamide) and permethrin work well at keeping ticks (and mosquitoes) away. Permethrin-based repellents must not be applied directly to skin. After coming home from potentially tick-infested areas, inspect skin and remove ticks immediately. Ticks removed within several hours after attachment are very unlikely to transmit pathogens.
