CC / Erik Kartits
Local health organizations are urging residents to be aware of the dangers of tick exposure.
The Sheboygan County Division of Public Health is reminding the public that, while tick exposure can occur year-round, it is most prevalent during warmer months, particularly April through September.
This comes as the risk of contracting harmful ailments, such as Lyme disease, continues to rise in Wisconsin, the Midwest, and the northeastern U. S. To help fight tick bites, it is important to know where to expect ticks, such as grassy, brushy, or wooded areas.
Sheboygan County’s Division of Public Health also recommends using 0.5% permethrin treated clothing and EPA-registered insect repellents when outdoors.
When returning from a hike or even your backyard, it is also important to check your clothing for ticks, as well as your body, primarily the underarms, in and around the ears, inside your belly button, the scalp, and the back of the knees.
These tips are even more prevalent after an ongoing study done in collaboration between the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute and Sanford Health revealed that 51% of the blacklegged or deer ticks they examined in 2024 from Wisconsin tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease.
Those looking to learn more about Wisconsin’s Lyme disease data can visit dhs.wisconsin.gov.
