With the summer season officially underway, outdoorists will be taking advantage of the warm, sunny days over the next few weeks. One thing to keep in mind, however, is the presence of ticks and other insects and how to identify them.
Over the weekend, Indiana County residents reported tick sightings while at Yellow Creek State Park on Facebook, but commenters said that they might not actually be ticks, but rather weevils and other bugs that have the appearance of ticks.
The most common types of ticks are the eastern blacklegged tick – also known as a Deer Tick, which carries the bacteria known for causing Lyme Disease and is the most common type of tick found in Pennsylvania – a Lone Star Tick and a Dog Tick. All three can grow up to one to three inches in length.
One general way to identify a tick is to see if they have eight legs, a distinguishable dorsal shield and visible mouthparts, and if they attach itself to one’s body. If an insect has wings and does not attach itself to one’s body, it’s most likely not a tick.
We’ve provided photos of ticks and “imposter” bugs below.
To avoid tick bites, use chemical repellant with DEET, permethrin or picaridin, wear light-colored protective clothing, tuck pant legs into socks, avoid tick-infested areas and check yourself, children and pets daily for ticks and carefully remove any that you may find.
Courtesy of Cornell University
Courtesy of Tick Safety
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