Rock Island Today

Ticks are small but dangerous insects that lurk in tall grass and wooded areas, spreading disease with their bites. Lyme disease is perhaps the most well-known of these illnesses, but it is not the only one. Some experts are now warning that Illinois may face an especially severe tick season this summer.

With a milder spring this year, Maureen Murray, the assistant director of the Urban Wildlife Institute at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, suggests increased tick activity could be expected. “Fewer ticks die during the winter, and ticks can be active sooner in the spring, just because it warms up faster,” she stated.

The Department of Public Health (IDPH) reports that Illinois hosts more than a dozen different kinds of ticks, though not all are commonly encountered by people. One of the more prevalent species is the American dog tick, which bites both dogs and humans and spreads illnesses such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. Deer ticks, which spread Lyme disease, are known to be present throughout much of Illinois and are particularly active in spring and summer.

IDPH offers several tips for avoiding ticks when outdoors: wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants; use bug repellent containing at least 20% DEET, picaridin or IR3535 on exposed skin; walk in the center of trails; and treat clothing with products containing permethrin—though permethrin should not be applied to skin.

For a complete list of tips on checking for, preventing, and removing ticks, visit IDPH's website.