DES MOINES -Tick season in Iowa starts in March and runs through November. With the weather warming up more people are headed outdoors where they might cross paths with ticks.
Ticks can carry many different diseases, the most notable Lyme’s Disease which causes headaches, fever, and fatigue and can have more serious long-term consequences. While bug spray and wearing long sleeves and pants can help prevent ticks, the best way to stay safe is with a tick check.
“The most important tick-borne disease we have here in the state is Lyme’s disease and the tick needs to feed on a person for about 36 hours before its able to transmit the disease,” Dr. Ryan Smith PhD, a professor at Iowa State, said. “So if you go home and shower and find some of these ticks and get them off before they can transmit a disease then you should be more or less fine and clear.”
Dr. Smith is running a study at Iowa State to learn more about Iowa’s tick population and what diseases they carry.
To learn more about what safety measures you can take to protect yourself from ticks check out the Iowa DNR’s website.
