Ticks Season Is Coming: They’ll Bug You This Spring

The weather hasn't been great lately, but it was enjoyable to have a record setting March across the Northland.  The good news was the warmth and sunshine.  The bad news was an early allergy season and now, an early tick season.

We are well trained in the area to be aware of ticks and the health risks they can cause if not found in a timely manner.  My mother suffered from Lyme Disease and while she recovered, it did leave her with bad arthritis in her legs and knees.  Have fun out there, but take Brad Paisley's advice and check for ticks!

Because of the extra-mild winter this year, the early spring could bring an unwelcome guest: the tick. Be warned: The warmer weather is good news for people and pets who want to be outside, but beware of an uptick of the hard-to-detect pest.

The basic reason is that the eggs will hatch sooner. "Eggs are already in the ground, but this is the time that they will be coming out in great numbers," said Pollie Rueda, an entomologist stationed at the Smithsonian and Walter Reed Army institute of Research. He noted that the normal tick season is from May through August, but with the 70-degree temperatures in some places, the ticks may get a jump on the season.

Ticks that are already out and about are the visible adult, sesame-sized ones, noted Kristen Nordlund of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Think of these little buggers as the arachnid form of vampires. They hang out in blades of grass for a host to come along -- a mouse, a dog, or a human -- to attach themselves and feed off your blood over days, or until discovered, and they often leave disease behind -- sometimes multiple illnesses.

via Ticks season is coming: They’ll bug you this spring | The Upshot - Yahoo! News.