Dealing with ticks Entomology

Tick Impacts Interfere with work & recreation Allergic reactions – painful bites Blood loss - anemia Feeding wounds – infections Stress to host Disease risk

More & earlier Weather Wildlife/ conservation areas Increase in hosts More outdoors activity Winter conditions

Factors High reproductive potential Low survival – finding hosts, water loss Few natural enemies – predators and parasites

Gradual metamorphosis Egg mass (100’s) Larva – seed tick (6 legs) Nymph (8 legs) Adult (8 legs)

3 host tick Life cycle can take 1 to 2 years Larva on small mammal Nymph on small mammal Adult on large mammal Eggs on ground 1 3 2

Tick distribution Shelter for ticks & hosts A A A N N L L L A L = larvae – seed ticks N = nymphs A = Adults

Cues for host-finding CO 2 Vibration Odor- Host-produced substances – constituents of sweat and skin lipids – host specificity Heat Shadows or visual appearance

Tick mouthparts - ventral

American dog tick (left) Lone star tick (right)

Feeding process 1 Wander, select feeding site (hours) 2 Anesthetize skin 3 Cut skin and insert mouthparts 4 Secrete “cement” 5 Inject saliva 6 Feed

Salivary secretions Prevent clotting, dilate skin capillaries, digest host tissues, cause hemorrhage, suppress host response

Tick attachment sites 25% 40% 25% 10% Limits effects of repellents

Feeding time Larvae & nymphs 2.5 to 8 days Adults = 5 to 12 days Slow feeding then rapid feeding on last day Pathogens often transferred at end of feeding period

Tick removal Remember the barbed mouthparts and cement! Use tweezers grab at skin and use STEADY PULL DO NOT USE sudden jerky pull, hot matches, nail polish, etc – increase tick salivation Wash site with soap and water – prevent infection

Tick removal tools Timely detection and removal are the most important factors in avoiding tick-borne diseases

Kentucky Ticks Blacklegged tick American dog tick Lone star tick

American dog tick wood tick 3-host tick Short mouthparts Mottled white markings on back Immature stages on small mammals – mice, etc. Only adults on humans and larger mammals Active April – August

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Caused by bacterium Affects circulatory system – increased vascular permeability (leaks) Reservoirs - opossums, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and mice Mortality rate 2% – 5% if treated; 20% to 30% if not treated

RMSF Early diagnosis difficult “Flu”-like symptoms Rash, fever, tick exposure Early treatment effective

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Must be attached more than 10 hours Rickettsia virulent only after long attachment Est. 1 – 3% tick infection rate Diagnosis – clinical signs & symptoms, medical history, tick exposure Most effective if antibiotic treatment (doxyclycline) started within 5 days

RMSF risk factors Children and adults 50 yrs to 70 yrs old Frequent exposure to dogs Live near wooded areas with high grass Greatest increases in Native Americans

RMSF – CDC 60% cases NC OK AR TN MO

American dog tick (left) Lone star tick (right)

Lone star tick turkey mites deer tick

Lone Star Tick Spread Pre 1995

Lone star tick In brushy vegetation with high humidity L, N, & A will attack most any mammal & ground-feeding bird Associated with large deer populations N & A emerge from winter diapause in spring, feed in small, medium, and large mammals but prefer large mammals STARI (Borrelia lonestari), human erlichiosis

Ticks Smallest tick to feed on humans- larvae (seed ticks), nymphs, and adults

Questing seed ticks

Lone star seed ticks

Lone star tick is not a vector of Lyme Disease Saliva of lone star tick is lethal to the organism that causes Lyme disease

S outhern T ick- A ssociated R ash I llness (STARI) Rash, fatigue, headache, muscle & joint pain following bite of lone star tick “Bulls-eye” rash about 7 days after bite No chronic effects Clears following use of oral antibiotics 1 – bite 2 – edge of rash 3 – cleared area

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Black legged tick deer tick Long mouthparts Female reddish body with dark brown plate on back Male dark brown Active Nov – March

More spp of host than any other NA tick Larvae and nymphs - 52 spp mammals (prefer white-footed mice, 60 spp birds, 8 spp reptiles Adults – white-tailed deer Vector of Lyme disease in northeast and north central US

Lyme disease risk map - CDC Kentucky - Minimum to no risk Feeding habits of larvae & nymphs – skinks instead of mammals

Kentuckiana Lyme Support Group Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne infection in America. The Center for Disease Control acknowledges that Lyme disease is seriously under-reported, and the actual number of new cases in the U.S. could exceed 460,000 people per year. Lyme disease can and does strike anyone, but children under 10 years of age represent the fastest growing segment of new cases. Lyme is a multi-system mimic disease caused by a spirochete bacterium and most commonly spread by the bite of an infected deer tick. The Lyme bacteria can penetrate virtually any tissue in the body, including the brain and other vital organs. Lyme can present a wide range of symptoms that may appear to be ailments such as Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, MS, Autism, Alzheimer’s, and even ALS. There are numerous cases of patients thought to have these conditions, later diagnosed with and successfully treated for Lyme disease. Lyme disease is present in Kentucky and Indiana. Under our skin – Lyme disease movie

Protect Yourself from Ticks (and chiggers) Wear light colored clothing Tuck pants in socks Use repellents Inspect yourself, children and pets carefully after being outdoors Remove ticks correctly as soon as possible

Choosing Repellents - Deet Available in wide range of concentrations Low concentrations for minimal exposure Higher concentrations more pests or longer protection. Netting Long sleeve shirts and pants

Permanone - permethrin CLOTHING TREATMENT ONLY Long lasting – several days Effective against ticks, chiggers, low feeding mosquitoes Quick knock-down effect Outdoor stores – outfitters, hunters

No substitute for inspection

Tick management Habitat management – clearing brush Reduce immigration – ticks have limited movement but hosts can carry them long distances Acaricide applications Few natural enemies

Activity periods TickActiveDistribution American dogApril – mid- August Statewide BlackleggedOctober - March East & southeast Lone starSpring – early summer Late summer – early fall Almost statewide

Ticks worst enemies Sunlight and dry air – mowing and brush clearing Reduces tick survival & discourages other hosts

Lawn applications - borders Bayer Multi-Insect Killer Ready to Spray or Concentrate (cyfluthrin) Bonide Beetle Killer (cyhalothrin) Bonide Eight Flower & Vegetable Spray (bifenthrin) Bonide Total Pest Control Outdoor Concentrate (permethrin) Bonide Eight Yard & Garden Ready to Spray (permethrin) Carbaryl sprays Ortho Bug-B-Gon Max Lawn & Garden Insect Killer Ready to Spray (bifenthrin)

Pets

Protecting pets from ticks KPN 1298 April 17, 2012 Collars – 3 to 6 months Spot On - 1 month Shampoo / Wash Permethrin and other pyrethroids toxic to cats

Wildlife

4-poster self-applicator for deer (for 1 host ticks)

Things to know Impacts of ticks Life cycles Host finding, attachment and feeding Comparison of common species Tick management

Lyme Disease in Humans Skin – rash - varies Joints – severe joint pain and swelling Nervous system burning, shooting pains, and numbness Heart – Affects 5% to 10% of patients

Assessment

Lyme Disease Infected ticks must feed for at least 24 hours to transmit Up to 4% of people bitten by infected vector get disease 80% of human cases a bull’s-eye rash appears in 5 days to several weeks