ST. LOUIS — If you have plans to spend the evening outside you may want to check yourself for ticks.
Experts say we're seeing more ticks in Missouri this year and roughly 10% of which are known disease carriers.
“Every year is a good year for ticks,” Deb Hudman with the Missouri Dept. of Conservation said. “Their numbers aren’t declining by any means.”
Hudman says there are four common types of ticks in Missouri, but she’s found invasive Gulf Coast Ticks south of the Missouri River and detected Asian Longhorn Ticks in four Missouri counties.
“Ticks only move as far as their host,” Hudman said. “They’re happy to feed on many species.”
Dr. Rob Poirier, Clinical Chief of Emergency Medicine at Barnes Jewish Hospital, says ticks can carry diseases such as Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, and even Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
"The symptoms people have can occur up to two days to two weeks later,” Dr. Rob Poirier said. “Rash is the most common, but then there are more serious symptoms like fever, chills, headaches, and people could have an altered mental status. They're not acting right. Some people can even be paralyzed."
Warmer weather means we may see more ticks earlier than in years past.
Hudman says the best way to reduce the number of ticks in your yard is frequently cutting your grass.
“Ticks are susceptible to desiccation,” Hudman said. “The more they have access to the sun, dry heat, and have nothing to hide under then they’re more likely not to survive.”
If you work outside, the experts recommend spraying your clothes with permethrin.
“I allow it to dry out in the garage,” Hudman said. “If you have a pet cat that you enjoy you don’t want it to interact with permethrin when it’s wet because it’s lethal to cats.”
Though the threat posed ticks may seem scary to some, Hudman says it shouldn’t stop you from taking a trip outdoors.
“The benefits of going outside looking for morels, bird watching, or whatever you’re doing far outweighs the risks of tickborne diseases,” said Hudman.