Too early for ticks! Took our lab for a walk in Buckhorn State park, and found 10 ticks on her when we came home. It’s only February!

Get ready, I read somewhere that it’s going to be a banner year. I could be getting this wrong, but I think the explanation was that many eggs get flooded out in a typical snowfall year, but very dry years like this one can lead to record hatches. Don’t quote me on that though.

That’s crazy!

I will say this…I’ve been using that Simparico Trio for a couple of years and it is amazing. Jade has been to BWCA twice in the summer, scouting and hunting in Kentucky early fall, and summer camping all over Tennessee…I have found exactly one dead tick on her lip.

I assume deer ticks, not wood ticks. Them deer ticks if it gets just a little warm out, they crawl around. Their tough little creatures. Just think 40 years ago at least the north half of Minnesota they did not exist.

Well, TBH, they can be active all year long. I live in Michigan and deal with ticks quite often. Luckily it's mostly dog ticks but the two times I've had a deer tick on me and latched on was in the winter. Once in early January and once in March. Check yourself everytime you go out.

thegildedgopher: "Get ready, I read somewhere that it’s going to be a banner year. I could be getting this wrong, but I think the explanation was that many eggs get flooded out in a typical snowfall year, but very dry years like this one can lead to record hatches. Don’t quote me on that though."

For some reason, deer tick numbers in the Brainerd area in the last few years have been down 99%. Why? Maybe like a lot of species get too abundant you're apt to get a disease. Hopeful thinking that the ticks got a virus or something that kills them.
Crow Wing County a few years ago ranked close to the top with Lyme disease. Last few years cases are way down.
That doesn't mean you can't get it still, I did. With fewer ticks, people get lazy and don't check themselves as good,

I found the article I was thinking of. It was more specifically talking about winter ticks and how they will flourish in these conditions and have a big impact on our moose herd.

Star tribune article

I had one on me and found another on my dog in the last week. At least it's not like May when you can walk through a damn nest of them and end up with a dozen. I've been lucky not to get Lyme's to be honest, but I do get better and more diligent about checking as I get older.

Just returned from the local nature center where I volunteer. A fellow volunteer picked up a deer tick earlier today while checking on the sugar maple trees. I have been doing much the same recently but so far no ticks. I did get the series of Lymerix vaccine when it was available a number of years ago. I have always wondered why I don't seem to pick-up ticks when others do. Perhaps the ticks find me unpalatable?

deerfoot: "I have always wondered why I don't seem to pick-up ticks when others do. Perhaps the ticks find me unpalatable?"

Always wondered this, too. My husband picks up at least 10 times as many ticks as I do. They love him!