Friday, March 27, 2020
A pandemic doesn't affect tick activity!
April showers bring May flowers... and ticks:
As if we didn't have enough to worry about, these days, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, tick activity typically peaks in May, but ticks can be active any time that temperatures are above freezing and the snow is off the ground.
As we watch the snow melt and temps climb above 40 degrees, we need to start watching out for ticks. If you escape town to the country during the pandemic, or even just walking the dog in many of the Minnesota and Wisconsin wooded areas, you should still be mindful of potential tick activity.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure:
Now is a good time to break out the tick repellent and remind your kids to wear it whenever they go into areas where ticks are likely to be present (wooded areas, areas with tall grass or low bushes). Get your family back into the habit of doing tick checks after being outdoors, especially hard to spot areas like your scalp and back. And don't forget your furry family members! Flea, tick and mosquito prevention should start this time of year too. Contact your vet to discuss risk factors and prevention for your pets.
Check out Medline Plus for health related news and tips.
-C. Fisher
Monday, March 9, 2020
Tick Talk with the Duluth Arthritis Support Group
Ben Clarke and Cole Fisher will be presenting a Tick Talk to the Duluth Arthritis Support Group on March 9th.
Updated March 27, 2020:
We would like to extend our thanks to Jo Travis and the Duluth Arthritis Support Group for hosting our talk. Please feel free to leave comments.
-C. Fisher
Updated March 27, 2020:
We would like to extend our thanks to Jo Travis and the Duluth Arthritis Support Group for hosting our talk. Please feel free to leave comments.
-C. Fisher
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Ixodes Outreach Project Website Coming Soon!
Ixodes Outreach Project social media presence is under construction.
Please check back soon.
Please check back soon.
Monday, March 2, 2020
Help the Ixodes Outreach Project montior ticks!
The Ixodes Outreach Project needs your help to build our Tick Bank. We use ticks for a variety of teaching and research applications. We also are interested in recording where ticks are being found. So, please send us ticks you come across on you, your family or your pets. You can contact us for a free Tick Kit with supplies and directions for submitting your specimens. Using the kit is super easy!
To request a kit simply write to us stating you would like to request a Tick Kit. Be sure to include your name and mailing address. At certain times of the year our staff may be busy in the field or the lab, please know we will process your request as soon as possible, but it may take a few weeks to receive your kit.
Email us at:
Or write to us by USPS mail at:
You can also submit ticks without the use of a Tick Kit. To do so, please put ticks inside a Ziploc style baggie. If possible, include a small squirt of hand-sanitizer gel and coat the tick with the gel. This will help preserve the tick during transit and reduce bacterial growth in the bag. However, we can still used specimens sent without. We would prefer you do not tape ticks, they can be difficult to remove from tape.
In your tick submission please include the following:
Mail ticks by USPS to the address provided above.
Please note: We cannot provide timely diagnostic services on ticks. If you are submitting a tick that has bitten you, your family or pet and are concerned about the risk of contacting a tick-borne illness, such as Lyme disease, please contact your physician or veterinarian. We will try to notify you of the results of testing on your specimens, but we cannot guarantee how long it may take for specimens to be tested. Some specimens may be used for teaching/training or other research purposes and not be tested.
To request a kit simply write to us stating you would like to request a Tick Kit. Be sure to include your name and mailing address. At certain times of the year our staff may be busy in the field or the lab, please know we will process your request as soon as possible, but it may take a few weeks to receive your kit.
Email us at:
ixodesoutreach@d.umn.edu
in the subject heading type Tick Kit Request.
Or write to us by USPS mail at:
University
of Minnesota Duluth
Ixodes Outreach Project
1035 University Dr.
Duluth, MN 55812
Attn: SMed 332
Ixodes Outreach Project
1035 University Dr.
Duluth, MN 55812
Attn: SMed 332
You can also submit ticks without the use of a Tick Kit. To do so, please put ticks inside a Ziploc style baggie. If possible, include a small squirt of hand-sanitizer gel and coat the tick with the gel. This will help preserve the tick during transit and reduce bacterial growth in the bag. However, we can still used specimens sent without. We would prefer you do not tape ticks, they can be difficult to remove from tape.
In your tick submission please include the following:
- Your name and address so we can follow up with you if necessary.
- The location of where you found the tick. If you know coordinates, feel free to send them, but if you do not, please try to be specific as to city, county and state.
- The date when you found the tick.
- Weather conditions, if known.
- Optional: description of the terrain where tick was picked up (grass land, deciduous woods, near a wood pile, etc.)
- Indicate whether it was attached to a person, dog, cat, horse, etc. or whether it was found unattached.
Mail ticks by USPS to the address provided above.
Please note: We cannot provide timely diagnostic services on ticks. If you are submitting a tick that has bitten you, your family or pet and are concerned about the risk of contacting a tick-borne illness, such as Lyme disease, please contact your physician or veterinarian. We will try to notify you of the results of testing on your specimens, but we cannot guarantee how long it may take for specimens to be tested. Some specimens may be used for teaching/training or other research purposes and not be tested.
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