How to Avoid Ticks – and Treat Bites
Tick-tock. With the warmer months come the crawling critters that might bite, sting, bite, and even linger.
Like many parasites, ticks latch onto the skin to feed on blood. While all parasitic insects can carry and spread diseases, even the very thought of ticks can cause distress due to their more visible size and tendency to linger. Learn how to spot, avoid, and remove these pesky parasites—and what to do if you or a loved one (including the family pet) gets bitten.
In This Blog
Common Michigan Ticks and Diseases They Spread
Tick bites themselves aren't usually a cause for concern. It’s the microbes in their saliva that enter the bloodstream and can cause illnesses such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
While hard ticks will attach and feed for several hours or even days, soft ticks often feed for less than one hour, transmitting diseases more quickly. Of the 800 species of ticks, only a small fraction is known to transmit diseases to humans. Michigan’s five most common ticks include:
American dog tick. Despite its name, this tick will bite both pets and humans. Though rare, the American dog tick can spread diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Blacklegged tick. Especially prevalent along the west coast of Michigan, including many Northern Michigan counties, the blacklegged tick can transmit Lyme disease as well as other notable infections such as anaplasmosis and babesiosis.
Lone star tick. Known as an aggressive biter, this species has recently become more prevalent in Michigan, feeding on both animals and humans. Its painless bite rarely leaves a mark but can cause alpha‑gal syndrome, which can trigger your immune system to react to meat.
Woodchuck tick. The woodchuck tick, also known as the groundhog tick, rarely bites humans, but it is commonly found on pets throughout Michigan and transmits Powassan virus disease.
Brown dog tick. Though not as common as other Michigan ticks, the brown dog tick can survive indoors and carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Lyme Disease: Should You Be Concerned?
Lyme disease is a tick-borne bacterial infection. While it cannot be passed from person to person, it does lead to serious health problems such as joint pain and flu-like symptoms if it goes untreated (typically with antibiotics).
Lyme disease is a year-round concern in many parts of the U.S., including certain areas in Northern Michigan. Factors that can increase your risk for getting Lyme disease include:
- Working or spending time outdoors in grassy areas where the blacklegged deer tick or Western blacklegged deer tick is found
- Having pets that can bring ticks into your home
Avoiding Ticks 101
In Northern Michigan, ticks are most active in the warmer months, when we typically spend more time outdoors (April through October). The good news is that ticks are largely avoidable with the right precautions.
Outdoor care. Keep your grass routinely mowed and free of leaf debris. Stack wood tightly and in dry areas to discourage rodents, which carry ticks. If your home borders the woods, keep recreational areas as far from the trees as possible, and consider a 3-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel to prevent ticks from making their way to your lawn. Finally, deter stray and wild animals with fences or makeshift barriers.
Clothing Counts. Dress appropriately to prevent and identify ticks by wearing light-colored fabrics; hats or head scarves; long sleeves; pants with the legs tucked into your socks; closed-toe shoes.
Use insect repellents. Particularly those containing DEET. Please note that products containing permethrin should be sprayed only on clothing, not on your skin.
Shower after all outdoor activities. The water can wash away ticks before they become fully attached to your skin.
Do a skin check. Check for ticks on your joints and in crevices like your underarms, backs of the knees, and between fingers and toes. Ticks also tend toward the belly button, neck, hairline, top of the head, and behind ears.
Wash clothing after outdoor use. Use hot water and high heat.
Consider tick prevention for pets. Ask your veterinarian about the best tick-prevention.
If You Find a Tick
Some but not all ticks carry disease. If you find a tick, don't panic.
- Observe if the tick looks flat versus engorged. An engorged tick increases your risk of disease. Seek your nearest Munson urgent care, as you may need antibiotics.
- Try to carefully remove the tick with tweezers.
- Grasp the tick near its head, as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
- Pull carefully (without twisting), and don't crush the body
- Place the tick in alcohol inside a sealed bag/container. Take with you for identification if medical attention is needed.
- Thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
- Click below for clear visuals and instructions from the CDC.
When to Seek Medical Care
If you remove a tick yourself and it looks engorged, you may need antibiotics. Seek your nearest Munson Urgent Care within 72 hours of the bite. If the tick didn’t appear engorged, continue to watch for signs of a tick-borne illness, which may also require antibiotic treatment. Symptoms may show up in a few days or weeks after a bite. Watch for any of the following:
- A rash that may spread
- Fever
- Chills
- Body aches, joint swelling, and pain
- Severe headache
What to Share at Urgent Care
bull's eyerash is a common symptom of Lyme disease.
Tell the provider when the bite occurred and where you most likely acquired the tick. They may run a blood test to check for Lyme or other tick-related diseases. Note that your physician may not order this test right away, since Lyme disease can take weeks to develop. Also be prepared that the provider may not prescribe antibiotics.
“The CDC has very specific guidelines for treating tick bites with prophylactic antibiotics,” shares Jacob Szafranski, MD, an urgent care physician at Munson’s Traverse City urgent care location. “The tick needs to have been removed within 72 hours, be identified as a black-legged deer tick, and have been engorged. Then an antibiotic may be prescribed to prevent disease."
Urgent Care for Tick Bites & Other Urgent Needs
When you need quick care for non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses — like sprains, strains, coughs, fever, pink eye and more — Munson Healthcare has 7 urgent care locations throughout Northern Michigan to serve you, plus virtual urgent care.
Many locations have extended evening and weekend hours, as well as onsite lab and X-ray services.