Nebraskaland

52 Nebraskaland • August-September 2020 MIXED BAG Just reading this article about ticks is likely to make skin crawl. These blood-sucking parasitic arachnids are among the creepiest of the creepy, but those who spend a lot of time outdoors are forced to tolerate them. When populations of the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), commonly referred to as the deer tick, were confirmed in Douglas, Sarpy and Saunders counties in 2019, they joined a list of three other established tick species in the state. The most wide-ranging and prevalent of tick species in Nebraska is the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis). It is heavily established throughout most of the state, its range extending into the Panhandle from the east. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), can be found in Nebraska as far east as the Gothenburg area. The Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni) prefers elevations about 4,000 feet, and its range extends into the Panhandle's highest places from the west. Even though a tick's bite is stealthily painless to its host, it can be fatal — if only rarely. Human risk of disease from these species is not great, but does exist and becomes higher toward the end of summer. Ticks are frequently a s s o c i a te d w i t h carrying Lyme disease, but it is extremely rare in Nebraska. Only blacklegged ticks carry it, and spread of the disease is most common in regions where populations have been long established. Health experts warn, however, that the presence of established populations have heightened concern. A mobile society and warming climate is causing the ticks to expand their range. The American dog ticks and Rocky Mountain wood ticks are vectors for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and are known to spread tularemia, especially among small mammals. The lone star tick can cause the latter malady as well as carry heartland virus and pathogens leading to Ehrlichiosis, and southern tick-associated rash illness. Ticks are most active in May and June, but can be active year-round. Sometimes the struggles against these eight- legged invaders seem futile, but there are things you can do to lessen the risk of becoming a host. When in tick country, fashion should not be a priority. To hinder ticks' route to a remote spot on your body and easily spot them in their attempts, it is best to wear long sleeves of a light color, put hair under a hat, tuck pants into socks, and spray tick repellent with permethrin or DEET on shoes, legs and arms. Regular doses of a tick and flea control product with the active ingredient fipronil, which attacks the central nervous system of the little parasites, will help your canine partner stay free of them. If a tick becomes embedded in skin, experts say to take care to remove it slowly so it has time to free its mouthparts. Squeezing the tick's abdomen may force unwanted fluids into skin. Each measure lessens disease risk. It is hard to see the good in ticks. It should be noted, however, that ticks provide a valuable food source to many other organisms in the food chain. For instance, wild turkeys like to peck at them and a Virginia opossum, notably proficient at keeping its fur clean as it roams wooded areas, reportedly eats as many as 5,000 ticks during its lifetime. Ticks also host a variety of other important micro-parasites, and their disease-causing ways help control populations of other animals and keep carrying capacities in check. No, these attributes do not rank among the cute and awe- inspiring characteristics we often adore in other species, and they certainly do not appeal to us humans on the surface. Regardless, humans probably would not like the effect on the ecosystem if ticks were eradicated — even if we would certainly not miss them crawling up our skin and sucking our blood. THOSE DETESTABLE TICKS By Justin Haag PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG An engorged American dog tick in Dawes County.

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