LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – It's tick season, and health officials say it’s time to protect yourself and check for the tiny bloodsuckers.
To help prevent tick bites, officials recommend using repellents that contain DEET, and wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, and long socks when walking through areas where ticks are likely to live.
There are about a dozen species of ticks found in Ohio. While the blacklegged tick can be active year-round, they are most commonly found from late spring through mid-summer. Ticks can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. To help prevent tick bites, officials recommend using repellents that contain DEET, and wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, and long socks when walking through areas where ticks are likely to live.
“You just want to watch where you're walking, because they live like on the edge of like tall grasses and tall weeds. So, if you're walking out into the woods, you want to stay in the middle of the path to avoid them, if you've been in an area and if you find a tick on you. And you also want to check your pets. Also, you want to remove them with a pair of tweezers, is the safest way. And if you've been bitten, or you think you might have been bitten, we highly recommend that you talk to your doctor so you can get antibiotics started as soon as possible," said Brian Nartker, director of Environmental Health Services.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, there were more than 1,300 cases of Lyme disease reported in the state in 2023.
