After one of the coldest and snowiest winters in recent memory, spring has finally sprung! Alongside it, Geneticks is excited to launch a new blog to share updates about our company, cover relevant news, and discuss all things related to ticks and tick-borne diseases. To kick things off, we’ve written a short post on the essentials for staying tick-safe as the warm weather brings out some of our least favorite eight-legged friends (yes, even worse than the spiders emerging from your garages and basements): ticks!
As temperatures rise in the spring, ticks that were formerly quiescent (a hibernation-like state for arachnids) begin to emerge. During the cold winter months, ticks burrow into leaf litter, reduce their metabolism, and rely on the insulating snowpack to survive. Though not all make it through, many do—and as the snow melts and the air warms, they reawaken and begin their search for hosts.
At the same time, migratory birds return from warmer winter regions, bringing with them an estimated 50 to 175 million new ticks. Combined with humans suffering from cabin fever and eager to get outside, this creates the perfect storm for human-tick interactions.
This time of year, the most common tick you’re likely to encounter is the adult blacklegged tick. These ticks are vectors for a variety of serious pathogens, including:
- Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
- Borrelia miyamotoi (tick-borne relapsing fever)
- Anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis)
- Babesia microti and Babesia odocoilei (babesiosis)
- Powassan virus lineage II (Deer Tick Virus)
Given this nasty cohort of pathogens, it’s important to know how to protect yourself. So, without further ado, here are Geneticks’ top tips for staying safe from ticks this spring:
1. Learn to Recognize and Avoid Tick Habitats
Ticks thrive in cool, damp environments—think shaded areas, leaf litter, and woodpiles—where they climb up vegetation and wait for passing hosts. Being mindful of these habitats when outdoors can help you steer clear of tick encounters. When hiking, stick to the center of trails and avoid brushing up against vegetation.
2. Prevent Tick Bites
We believe the outdoors are meant to be enjoyed—but when you can’t avoid tick habitats, the next best step is preventing bites:
- Wear light-colored clothing that covers your limbs and extremities; it makes ticks easier to spot and harder for them to reach your skin.
- Consider wearing permethrin-treated clothing, which is highly effective at repelling ticks.
- Use insect repellents, especially those containing Icaridin (Picaridin), to reduce your risk of contact.
- When you get home, place your clothing in a hot dryer to kill any hidden hitchhikers.
- Take a shower and perform a full-body inspection to check for attached ticks.
3. Perform Frequent Tick Checks
No method is foolproof, so regular tick checks are essential. Check yourself (and your companions) thoroughly, especially in hard-to-see areas. Key spots include:
- Ankles
- Backs of knees
- Groin
- Armpits
- Behind the ears
- Hairline
- Back and neck
4. Safely Remove Any Attached Ticks
If you find an attached tick, stay calm—panic won’t help. Prompt removal is important, but it must be done properly. Never squeeze, burn, or douse the tick in alcohol while it’s still attached, as this can increase the risk of pathogen transmission.
Instead, use fine-tipped or needle-nose tweezers and follow these steps:
a. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
b. Carefully pull upward with steady, even pressure, avoiding twisting or squeezing the body.
c. Wash the area with soap and water, then apply an antiseptic.
d. Check to ensure no tick parts remain embedded in the skin.
5. Consult a Medical Professional or Have the Tick Tested
If you’ve removed a tick, it’s important to consult a healthcare provider or submit the tick for testing to check for pathogens like those that cause Lyme disease:
🔗 Submit a Tick for Testing
While the risk of transmission increases with time, there is no confirmed minimum attachment time for transmission, so every tick bite should be taken seriously.
Risk maps, such as those on our website:
🔗 Tick Testing Statistics
…can help assess regional risk but cannot confirm whether an individual tick is infected. Keep in mind: migratory animals can carry infected ticks from high-risk to low-risk areas!
We hope this post helps you stay safer outdoors this tick season. Stay aware, stay prepared—and don’t let ticks ruin your spring!
Tick Kit Options:
🧰 Magnotta Tick Removal Kit
🧰 CanLyme Tick Removal Kit
🧰 Atlantick Water-Resistant Tick Kit
