Tick Season is Nearly Here

As the weather starts to turn warmer and you look to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, Minnesota health officials are reminding you that so do the ticks.

State Epidemiologist Elizabeth Schiffman says when the temps climb into the ‘50s and ‘60s, the ticks become active and are looking to eat.

She warns people to take preventative measures, like using repellant and checking yourself for ticks when you get back indoors.

She says deer ticks are especially dangerous, as they can transmit diseases like Anaplasmosis, Lyme Disease, and Babesiosis.

Schiffman says if you are wearing long pants, permethrin works very well on clothing and will actually kill ticks — but it should NOT be used on bare skin. For that, use a repellent with DEET.