Ticks Me Off

When I was a boy, I spent my summers in Ephraim either in the water, or in the woods. I spent a great deal of time creating trails and building tree forts in the woods to ward off possible invaders. Little did I know at the time that the ultimate dangerous invaders would be insects! Oh, there was always a running battle with those dastardly mosquitoes, but ticks really weren’t a nuisance back in the day. Sadly, they are now! Perhaps it’s been climate change, or insect migration, or as “hitchhikers” on the travelers who brought them here? Regardless of how they got here, their numbers seem to be increasing every year. State health officials report that urgent care clinics in the state saw three times as many tick bite cases in June 2025 as compared to June 2024.

The effects of tick bites can range from being a minor irritation to a serious health issue. Anaplasmosis and Lyme disease are the most common tick-borne diseases in our area, and you can get both from a deer tick bite. In Door County, populations of deer ticks really get going every year during April and usually peak in June. The diseases they carry and spread, however, can continue well into the fall months. Anaplasmosis symptoms include fever, chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea and vomiting. It can be treated effectively with antibiotics such as doxycycline, but if left untreated, it can develop into respiratory failure, organ failure, and death.

Okay, enough of the scary stuff. Sooner or later, if you spend time in the Door County woods, you’re going to get a tick bite. What you need to do, after you’re in the woods, is to exam yourself thoroughly. A shower is good, and with it, a good examination of your bare skin everywhere. If you find a tick don’t panic. The tick must be attached to you for 12-24 hours before transmitting bacteria. So as soon as you find a tick, remove it by using a tweezers and pulling upward to remove it. When I had one, and I tried to pull it out, it broke apart. I thought, “This isn’t good,” so I called the clinic, and they told me it was no big deal, and that there was no immediate need to seek medical attention. They instructed me to look for a bullseye-like rash at the bite site, and to watch for any of the above-mentioned symptoms.

Most tick bites are harmless, but you need to take them seriously, and to monitor them diligently for problems. The best defense is to not get a tick bite to begin with. A good defense is to wear pants and to tuck your pant legs into your socks. Hey, remember this is a woods hike, not a fashion show! Spraying your ankles and legs with insect repellent is very useful. It also helps to wear long sleeves, long pants, and long socks to keep ticks outside of clothes and not able to get onto your skin. If you’re going into a wooded area on a trail, stay to the center of the trail and avoid contact with overgrown grass and brush. I’m in the woods a lot, and very often not on a trail. I haven’t had any tick bites since I started using insect repellent and wearing long socks. I don’t want people to avoid going into the woods for fear of tick bites. You just need to dress and prepare properly, and to examine yourself after each walk in the woods. I’m not about to let the invading ticks win!

By Steve Eatough, Treasurer

This article was adapted from articles written by Tanner Bickford and Jeremy Wall and published July 15, 2025.