Minnesota’s First Lone Star Tick of the Year Found, Here’s Where
Summer has unofficially begun in Minnesota and so more and more of us are getting out and about to soak up the sun. But with summer in Minnesota comes ticks. Yay.
Experts have warned that we could see lots of ticks this summer, mainly due to the mild winter we had not killing off as many as usual. The first tick of the year was even found in early February, which is insane.
READ MORE: Tick Explosion Expected in Minnesota this Year
Types of Ticks in Minnesota
In Minnesota, we typically have three types of ticks we need to worry about and be on the lookout for:
the blacklegged tick, aka the deer tick (The Minnesota DNR says this one causes the most tickborne disease in Minnesota. This is also the only one that can transmit Lyme disease.)
the dog tick, aka the wood tick
and the lone star tick
The lone star tick can be a nasty one and the first one of the year has officially been reported.
First Lone Star Tick of the Year in Minnesota
This lone star tick was found by the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District during what's called a 'tick drag' that they did in Hennepin County west of Rogers, MN.
They shared a photo on Facebook of the discovery:
Of course, someone out for a hike may have easily found a lone star tick prior to this but this is the first official report of a lone star tick for 2024.
Why Lone Star Ticks Are So Bad
While infected deer ticks are the ones that transmit Lyme disease, lone star ticks can cause the person who's bitten to become allergic to red meat. If you're a big meat lover, this is a problem.
Anytime you've been in the great outdoors, make sure you do a thorough tick check afterward. Also, make sure you're giving pets tick-prevention medication if you aren't already.
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Gallery Credit: Samm Adams
