Mild winter means earlier, heavier tick season in Missouri
JOPLIN, Mo. — You can expect an up-tick in some small bloodsucking parasites this year in Missouri.
We’re talking about ticks: Experts say, this year, residents can expect an increase in them due to a mild winter season.
Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center employees say tick season has even started earlier than normal due to higher temperatures. And with an increase in the population of ticks – you can also expect in increase of tick-borne diseases.
According to the CDC – for example – in 2021, there were a little more than 36,000 tick-borne disease cases reported across the United States. In 2022, that number rose to more than 71,000 reported cases.
Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Alpha-gal are just a few of the diseases ticks are known to carry.
“So I would say a lot of people kind of tend to let the fear of ticks keep them from getting outdoors, which is definitely not what you want to do. You want to get outside and enjoy the warm season. So a couple of things you can do is, of course, spray on some insect repellent, like something with DEET in it. A lot of people might treat some of their equipment or their clothing with Permethrin, something like that,” said Kensi Tillman, Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center Naturalist.
Tillman also recommends using eucalyptus oil. Plus, she says wearing long pants can also help protect you from ticks.
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