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Deer ticks are active from late March until early November in Wisconsin. Ticks stop being active only when there is snow on the ground. Adult deer ticks are somewhat smaller than the wood tick (American Dog tick) and lack any markings on the scutum (see picture). The underside has a u-shaped line that is seen in all Ixodes ticks. The tick has three life stages Larvae, nymph and adult. It takes two years to complete its lifecycle and during that time it feeds only three times The immature stages feed on small rodents including white footed mice. It is here the ticks pick up the spirochete that causes Lyme disease.
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Deer Tick - female |
"Wood Tick" - male |
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Underside of Ixodes tick |
The highest numbers of deer ticks are found in brushy and wooded areas with moderate understory in West central and southwest Wisconsin. Deer ticks are far less common in eastern Wisconsin.
Lyme disease- It takes a deer tick 24-48 hours of feeding before they can transmit Lyme disease. In Wisconsin about 15- 20 % of the adult deer ticks and about 7-9 % of the nymphs carry the disease. Doing daily tick checks is very important in reducing the chance of transmission. There has been no evidence in the laboratory of wood ticks transmitting the disease.
Control of Deer ticks in outdoor areas difficult. While several insecticides are labeled for outdoor tick control, they are usually not effective in eliminating ticks in large areas of tall grass, brush and heavily wooded sites. There are however, some management techniques that can discourage a buildup of ticks. Ticks must be in areas of high humidity in order to survive, therefore, reducing the humidity in these areas by keeping grass mowed, removing brush, and pruning trees to allow more sunlight to dry the soil will prevent ticks from becoming established. Deer ticks do not survice well in mowed lawns. Limited insecticide sprays containing products such as permethrin or carbaryl (Sevin ) to the edges of mowed areas or along paths or trails can also be effective in reducing tick numbers . A band of 10-20 ft should be treated along the edge and into the bruchy or grassy area with sufficient volume to wet the ground . Treatment is most effective in later September or in April when there is less foliage to intercept the spray. Only one treatment should be needed per year.
For personal protection when working or hiking in tick infested areas cover the skin as much as possible by wearing long sleeve shirts and long pants with the legs tucked into socks. Sprays containing permethrin can be applied to clothing to kill any ticks that come into contact with the garment. A single spray can last for two weeks or more and is very effective. Repellents containing the active ingredient DEET can be applied to both clothing and skin. These do not kill ticks but prevent them from attaching to treated areas.
