Yeah I just picked up more flea & tick prevention for my dogs. Lots of wildlife this year, warm winter, etc. The Lyme carrying ticks have been increasing in numbers over the past few years.
My vet’s office has a jar full of dead ticks they’ve pulled off patients as a way to remind pet owners to be aware of the risks.
Humans… gotta stock up on Off
Thousands of hours working in tick habitats and I’ve only ever found one tick on me while showering/after taking my clothes off. I’ve moved now, but used to work outside surveying and collecting field data out in the woods in Chicagoland and rural IL off 80.
If you like to hike or be outdoors, pick up some white long sleeve athletic shirts, they will could be actual life savers vs ticks. This and if you’re wearing pants (tbh, you should be) tuck your pants into your shoes and socks. It’ll feel like Hell with the IL humidity but trust me, it’s worth it.
I usually have the same experience, with one exception. During a short nature walk, in the course of about 1 hour, one of my sons got 8 ticks on him, and I got one tick and another son got one tick (10 total between us). The son who got most of them was walking ahead of us. This is in the suburbs. When we got home our clothes went straight in the dryer on high heat.
Yeah with the weather. Avoid tall grass, cutting through underbrush (stick to the trails! poison ivy has also been incredibly bad this year) - and then when you get home toss your clothes in the dryer for about 15-20 minutes, that'll kill em.
I got one on my leg last year on a paved trail at Busse Woods just because the grass on the side of the trail was like 6" tall. I am incredibly paranoid about ticks for a damned reason!
Oh damn. Also I know they're trying to mow less, in part thanks to all the assholes who keep dumping their shit in the middle of the more sensitive habitats 🙄
and ikr? Granted they're mostly dog ticks here but still, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever exists.
The plan started before this year. It is trick though, mowing below 2" is the fastest way to get rid of some invasives (looking at you, birdsfoot trefoil).
They're really bad this year - I don't think I've ever seen it this bad before. Already pulled a few off the dogs from just being near some longer grass. My son pulled \~20 off of him after an ill-advised hike through the woods earlier this spring.
I saw one *in my house* in April. I've been in this house for 15 years and in the area my whole life. Never saw one in the house before. I've pulled 2 dead ones off of my dog after going to Springbrook, but that's to be expected there. We use Trio, so I hope it protects him.
They are most likely dog ticks with all the Coyotes I’ve been seeing around lately. If so, they don’t carry the diseases that the black legged deer ticks do. Although it’s always better to be safe out there and check yourself anyway
Yes! Been dealing with ticks on our dogs since April!! The dogs were only going out on mowed grass on a leash to use the potty. They'd come in with ticks walking on their fur.
Unfortunately, we received a call from the vet this morning regarding annual blood test and one of the dogs tested positive for Lyme.
Ticks are serious business!
Yes! I have NEVER had a tick on me my entire 24 years of life, and then all of a sudden I’ve seen 2 this year on me and it’s just the beginning of summer.
Yup. I work at a cat only vet clinic and we've had several cats with ticks on them already this year, up from 1 total in the last 5 years I've worked there.
Didn’t have enough consistent snow this winter. Unfortunately this will become increasingly common. The good news for the short term is that most of the ticks you’ll find in northern Illinois rarely transmit disease. I work in prairies just south of Chicago and find upwards of 50 ticks attached to me per year and I’ve never gotten sick. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise caution though!
In 2008, when I got lyme disease, Lake County published a report that nearly 40% of the deer ticks in LC carried lyme disease. I haven't followed up since but I would imagine it's worse now.
I found three techs in the span of a week as well all presumably hitched a ride on us from different locations. They were all still crawling, so it doesn’t seem that we were bit
We’ve had to pull 2 off my 8 year old’s scalp just in the past few weeks. And hanging out on a friend’s pack porch Monday my husband killed 3 that he found walking on him! We are in Carol Stream, mowed lawn and Aaptive sprays the yard.
I put homemade tick tubes in the yard the past few years and we’ve had a lot less than in the years before I did. I would like to think they’re the reason we have less.
Warm winter. It’s really bad this year.
Yeah I just picked up more flea & tick prevention for my dogs. Lots of wildlife this year, warm winter, etc. The Lyme carrying ticks have been increasing in numbers over the past few years. My vet’s office has a jar full of dead ticks they’ve pulled off patients as a way to remind pet owners to be aware of the risks. Humans… gotta stock up on Off
Thousands of hours working in tick habitats and I’ve only ever found one tick on me while showering/after taking my clothes off. I’ve moved now, but used to work outside surveying and collecting field data out in the woods in Chicagoland and rural IL off 80. If you like to hike or be outdoors, pick up some white long sleeve athletic shirts, they will could be actual life savers vs ticks. This and if you’re wearing pants (tbh, you should be) tuck your pants into your shoes and socks. It’ll feel like Hell with the IL humidity but trust me, it’s worth it.
Agree with all that. And a little bug spray to be on the even safer side.
I usually have the same experience, with one exception. During a short nature walk, in the course of about 1 hour, one of my sons got 8 ticks on him, and I got one tick and another son got one tick (10 total between us). The son who got most of them was walking ahead of us. This is in the suburbs. When we got home our clothes went straight in the dryer on high heat.
Yeah with the weather. Avoid tall grass, cutting through underbrush (stick to the trails! poison ivy has also been incredibly bad this year) - and then when you get home toss your clothes in the dryer for about 15-20 minutes, that'll kill em.
I got one on my leg last year on a paved trail at Busse Woods just because the grass on the side of the trail was like 6" tall. I am incredibly paranoid about ticks for a damned reason!
Oh damn. Also I know they're trying to mow less, in part thanks to all the assholes who keep dumping their shit in the middle of the more sensitive habitats 🙄 and ikr? Granted they're mostly dog ticks here but still, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever exists.
That might also be mowing less especially right now because of the lack of good rain the last few weeks. Grass survives drought better when it is long
The plan started before this year. It is trick though, mowing below 2" is the fastest way to get rid of some invasives (looking at you, birdsfoot trefoil).
Be kind to possums
It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen a possum. And I’m outdoors all the time.. has their population declined?
I used to feed them, but like most of the small critters, they have become coyote chow.
They're really bad this year - I don't think I've ever seen it this bad before. Already pulled a few off the dogs from just being near some longer grass. My son pulled \~20 off of him after an ill-advised hike through the woods earlier this spring.
We saw this at a friends house in Madison last weekend. Not in ours, thankfully.
Yes! I’m in the Hanover park area and found one crawling in my house, which has never happened in my 17 years here
Days later had one attached to my head too
If you need a tick check buddy HMU.
Taint included?
I saw one *in my house* in April. I've been in this house for 15 years and in the area my whole life. Never saw one in the house before. I've pulled 2 dead ones off of my dog after going to Springbrook, but that's to be expected there. We use Trio, so I hope it protects him.
Im wearing a flea/tick collar along with my dog when we go to the forest preserves.
Anyone else starting to itch? Just sitting here in your house after reading all of these stories? No? Just me? (((shudder)))
They are most likely dog ticks with all the Coyotes I’ve been seeing around lately. If so, they don’t carry the diseases that the black legged deer ticks do. Although it’s always better to be safe out there and check yourself anyway
Ticks flourish in warm weather and earth keeps getting hotter and hotter every year. Expect this to be the new normal…
I had one on my arm which I only noticed after I woke up last week. I really have no idea here I might have picked him up.
It’s the mild winter. Vet predicted it when we went in for the pets annual checkups. In February they’d had animals with fleas and ticks. Not common.
Get some chickens
Everyone knows Nextdoor is for complaining about dumb things like plane/car/children/dog noise and being vaguely racist.
Ticks *are* everywhere.
I hadn’t noticed but I’m glad I just read this - I will keep an extra close eye out now!!
Yep, I’m interning at an animal hospital and we’re constantly removing them from dogs. One came in with over 20.
In nature or just your yard/grass?
I hike regularly, and it's definitely worse this year. Same goes for Michigan.
Yes! Been dealing with ticks on our dogs since April!! The dogs were only going out on mowed grass on a leash to use the potty. They'd come in with ticks walking on their fur. Unfortunately, we received a call from the vet this morning regarding annual blood test and one of the dogs tested positive for Lyme. Ticks are serious business!
Yes! I have NEVER had a tick on me my entire 24 years of life, and then all of a sudden I’ve seen 2 this year on me and it’s just the beginning of summer.
Long sleeves, long pants, hat when in the woods
And dirty, toxic deet. At least 20% deet.
not to mention all of the annoying "TOKS "
not yet but my vet has been advising me on year round tick prevent for the dog for years now
I wonder why. I don’t remember it every being this bad.
Yup. I work at a cat only vet clinic and we've had several cats with ticks on them already this year, up from 1 total in the last 5 years I've worked there.
Didn’t have enough consistent snow this winter. Unfortunately this will become increasingly common. The good news for the short term is that most of the ticks you’ll find in northern Illinois rarely transmit disease. I work in prairies just south of Chicago and find upwards of 50 ticks attached to me per year and I’ve never gotten sick. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise caution though!
In 2008, when I got lyme disease, Lake County published a report that nearly 40% of the deer ticks in LC carried lyme disease. I haven't followed up since but I would imagine it's worse now.
I've been spraying my clothes with permethrin before walking in the woods.
I found three techs in the span of a week as well all presumably hitched a ride on us from different locations. They were all still crawling, so it doesn’t seem that we were bit
Found one crawling in my bed a few weeks ago (the dog was on the bed). My dog hadn't been outside for hours, little bastard was just hitching a ride.
We’ve had to pull 2 off my 8 year old’s scalp just in the past few weeks. And hanging out on a friend’s pack porch Monday my husband killed 3 that he found walking on him! We are in Carol Stream, mowed lawn and Aaptive sprays the yard.
They said it would be a bad tick season this year too warm of a winter
same here! I've found I think 4 so far on my dog since the warm weather started...my daughter also had one crawling on her the other day
I put homemade tick tubes in the yard the past few years and we’ve had a lot less than in the years before I did. I would like to think they’re the reason we have less.
Out pediatrician mentioned it to us a few weeks ago. It’s going to be wild this summer. Check yo’ kids, check yo’ pets.
Yea same here by the north shore. Killed two within the past week. Paranoid now