Iowa’s tick season back to bite

This year’s tick season — expected to be one of the worst in years — is in full swing.

Hospital visits for tick bites have been on an upward trend nationwide for the last three years after experiencing low numbers in 2020, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the Midwest region, which includes Iowa and nine other states, there were 130 hospital visits for tick bites in June 2023.

But 166 bites were reported by hospitals in the first nine days of June this year, there already were 166, according to the CDC.

Hotter weather and a wet spring — ideal weather for ticks to reproduce — are among the reasons this tick season is worse, said Dr. Christine Petersen, an epidemiology professor at the University of Iowa.

While tick season is considered to be in the spring and summer months ― mid-April to August ― ticks can appear when the temperature is above about 50 degrees, she said.

The months with the most risk for contracting Lyme disease from a tick bite are May and June because that is when the earlier stages of ticks are most active, Petersen said. The early stages of ticks are the ones that most often carry the disease, she said.

Lyme disease is an illness caused by a bacteria spread by blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, that if left untreated can cause joint pain, stiffness, irregular heartbeat and eye pain or vision loss.

Blacklegged ticks typically get the most attention because of their proclivity for spreading Lyme disease, Petersen said. However, there are three other ticks that can be found in the Midwest that can carry other diseases, including:

A common disease spread by ticks, specifically the dog tick, is Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Petersen said. Symptoms are similar to those of Lyme disease, but Rocky Mountain spotted fever can also cause skin necrosis that can lead to amputation, organ damage, respiratory issues and even comas in severe cases.

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Despite national data, some locals have not reported seeing an increase in ticks so far.

Rich Patterson, former director of the Indian Creek Nature Center and an avid outdoorsman, said he has found only two ticks on himself this year: one when he was camping in Arkansas and one when he was outdoors in Cedar Rapids.

However, Patterson said he takes precautions against ticks as he has had Lyme disease twice in his life. To protect himself, he wears clothes infused with permethrin, an insecticide that kills ticks.

“Maybe I’ve had a bunch of little (ticks) on me, but they get a whiff of this permethrin and they die,” he said.

Tick precautions

The method by which ticks cling to people and bite them is by grabbing onto them off the ground, Petersen said. Ticks do not typically fall off trees, so if a tick is ever found on a person’s scalp, that means the tick has crawled the way up there, she said.

Some ticks, such as the early stages present in May and June, are as tiny as a poppy seed. So it can be difficult to feel or even see them on a person’s body, Petersen said.

It is important to do a full-body tick check after doing outdoor activities, such as hiking. A blacklegged tick carrying Lyme disease needs to be biting a person for 24 hours to give them the disease, she said.

Individuals can take precautions against ticks before leaving the house by wearing long pants and tucking the legs into long socks so as not to expose skin, Petersen said.

“Even though you look really nerdy, pull your socks up over your pants, because they are crawling from lower down where they literally hold onto a blade of grass and stick their hands out to grab onto you,” Petersen said.

It can also be helpful to apply bug spray onto clothes before heading outdoors, said Zach Schumm, an insect diagnostician with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Office.

Most over-the-counter bug sprays are effective against ticks, especially those that contain the chemicals DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus for a more natural chemical repellent, Schumm said.

When out and about outdoors, staying on trails and avoiding long grass can help prevent getting ticks, Petersen said.

What to do if bitten

If people find a tick on their bodies, they should remove it with tweezers and pull the pest straight out in order to remove the head, Petersen said.

If more than 24 hours have passed since the tick could have been contracted, it is wise to go to the doctor to check for Lyme disease, Petersen said. The most common early signs of Lyme disease are a bullseye-shaped rash around the bite site, fever, headache, fatigue, stiffness and muscle aches and pains. These symptoms worsen if left untreated.

While Lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses should be taken seriously, disease concerns are relatively low in Iowa, Schumm said. This is because local wildlife do not commonly have Lyme disease, which the tick is able to transmit after biting an infected animal, he said.

Protecting pets

Pets, especially dogs, can also be affected by tickborne illnesses, including Lyme disease. Petersen recommends testing pets regularly for tick-related diseases when bringing them into the veterinarian for checkups.

Pets should be on an oral or topical tick prevention medication prescribed by a vet. Store-bought medications do not work against the ticks that carry Lyme disease, Petersen said.

Because warmer days where ticks are out can occur as early as February in Iowa, it may be smart to have a pet on year-round prevention medication, she said.

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