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All three of these species are of significant public health importance and are responsible for nearly all tickborne diseases reported to the Ohio Department of Health. Take action to decrease your risk of infection. Wear repellent containing up to 30 percent DEET, check your body daily for ticks, and limit your exposure to ticks and tick habitats.
- Tick Identification Card
Diseases Prevention Materials Ads Videos Forms Laws & Rules...
- Tick Season Ramps Up in Ohio
Different tick species harbor different diseases and just...
- Tick Identification Card
- Life Cycle and Habits
- Important Tick Species in Ohio
- Tick-Borne Diseases in Ohio
- Tick Identification
- Disease Testing of Ticks
- Integrated Pest Management Strategies
- TIck Removal
- Websites For Additional Information on Ticks
Ticks have a life cycle that includes the egg and three stages: six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and eight-legged adult. Adult ticks often have distinct characteristics and markings, but immature stages (larvae and nymphs) are entirely tan or brown and difficult to identify to species. All stages are round to oval shaped. Ticks must consume bl...
American Dog Tick
The American dog tick is the most commonly encountered species throughout Ohio. Identification:Adults typically are brownish with light grey mottling on the scutum. Immatures are very small and rarely observed. The adult American dog tick is the largest tick in Ohio at approximately 3/16 of an inch (unfed females, fed, and unfed males). After feeding, the female is much larger (~5/8 of an inch long) and mostly gray. Biology:American dog ticks prefer grassy areas along roads and paths, particu...
Blacklegged Tick or Deer Tick
The blacklegged tick recently has emerged as a serious pest in Ohio. This species has become much more common in the state since 2010, particularly in regions with the tick’s favored forest habitat. Maps showing Ohio counties with the blacklegged tick are available at odh.ohio.gov/. Identification:The larval stage of the blacklegged tick is extremely tiny and nearly translucent, which makes it extremely difficult to see. The nymphal stage is translucent to slightly gray or brown. Adult males...
Lone Star Tick
Lone star ticks recently have emerged as a serious pest, especially in southern Ohio. Identification:The unfed adult female is about 3/16-inch long, brown, with a distinctive silvery spot on the upper surface of the scutum (hence the name ‘lone star'.). Once fed, the female is almost circular in shape and ~7/16-inch long. The male tick is about 3/16-inch long, brown, with whitish markings along the rear edge. Biology:Lone star ticks are most commonly found in southern Ohio, but they are dispe...
Tick feeding often results in inflammation, swelling, irritation, and the potential for secondary bacterial infection at the feeding site. However, infection by tick-borne disease agents during feeding is of primary concern. Humans and pets can become infected with causal agents of RMSF, Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, human monocyti...
Ticks can be submitted for species identification to the C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic (PPDC) at The Ohio State University. Information detailing how to submit a specimen can be obtained from the PPDC website at ppdc.osu.edu, your local county Extension office, or by contacting the PPDC: phone (614-292-5006), fax (614-466-9754), ...
Some private labs conduct disease testing of ticks, but there is no state agency in Ohio that provides this service. Treatment should not depend on tick testing.
Prevention of Tick Bites
1. Apply a tick repellent, making sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Note that DEET formulations of at least 25 percent are needed to repel ticks. Repellents containing permethrin should be applied to clothing only; do not apply directly to exposed skin. 2. Wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to find crawling ticks. 3. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Tuck pants into socks, and tuck shirt into pants. 4. Perform tick checks frequently. 5. Remove ticks immediately...
Habitat Modification
Habitat management is essential for controlling tick populations. Keep your yard mowed, and do not allow brush or leaf litter to accumulate. Remove brush, tall weeds, and grass in order to eliminate the habitat of rodents and other small mammals, which serve as hosts for ticks.
Host Removal
It is helpful to remove rodents harboring inside or near one's house by using traps or rodenticides.
Prompt removal of an attached tick reduces the chance of infection. Tick attachment of several hours or more is often required for disease transmission.Take care not to crush or puncture the tick during removal. Diseases may be acquired from infected tick body fluids that contact broken skin, the mouth, or eyes. Do NOT use a hot match or cigarette...Do NOT apply solvents or other materials to the tick to "stimulate" the tick to detach; solvents are ineffective and delay removal. Such treatments may result in increased risk of disease transmiss...Avoid touching a tick with your bare hands. Shield your fingers with a paper towel, wear rubber gloves, or use tweezers.People also ask
What diseases do ticks carry in Ohio?
Are blacklegged ticks a problem in Ohio?
Which tick species are most common in Ohio?
Know when and where to expect ticks. (Blacklegged ticks are found in the woods; dog ticks are in grassy areas and road edges.) Use repellents according to labels. Tuck your pants into your socks and boots and tuck your shirt into your pants. Check yourself, family and pets regularly and remove ticks immediately. Use anti-tick products on pets.
Jul 11, 2019 · The safest way to remove a tick is with tweezers. Hold the tweezers parallel to the skin and grasp the tick firmly by the head as close to the skin as possible. Apply firm but gentle pressure and ...
Lyme disease is caused by an infection with a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi . In Ohio, B. burgdorferi is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Lyme disease cases are increasing in Ohio as the range of blacklegged tick populations continues to expand in the state and encounters with ...
Jun 24, 2021 · More information on these and other tick species, and photos to help identify ticks can be found on the Ohio Department of Health webpage. To learn more about tick-borne diseases and their symptoms, visit cdc.gov/ticks. Ohio State University is hosting a day-long Ohio Regional Tick Symposium 2021 on Oct. 15. Registration is available at osu.edu.
