{"id":9251,"date":"2017-07-05T18:55:09","date_gmt":"2017-07-05T18:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=9251"},"modified":"2025-08-05T11:13:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T15:13:13","slug":"mosquitoes-and-ticks-little-pests-carry-big-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/mosquitoes-and-ticks-little-pests-carry-big-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Mosquitoes and ticks \u2013 little pests carry big risks"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Female<\/a>

Photo by: James Gathany, Center for Disease Control and Prevention<\/p><\/div>\n

While researchers say it is difficult to determine whether unusual weather patterns this winter and spring will lead to larger mosquito and tick populations in the Upper Midwest this summer, one thing is certain – anyone planning to spend time outdoors should take steps to avoid the potentially dangerous pests.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year we face the same risks and every year it is wise to take precautions,\u201d said Catherine Hill<\/a>, Purdue University medical entomologist. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to be outside anytime from early spring to late summer and early fall, you need to be thinking about prevention and protection.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both mosquitos and ticks can carry a number of pathogens that could pose a serious threat to people and animals. Mosquitos can transmit several viruses that can cause severe encephalitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord), including Zika and West Nile virus, among others. Ticks are known carriers of Lyme disease, which infects about 300,000 people each year, as well as less common but equally dangerous conditions such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.<\/p>\n

To avoid mosquito bites, the best advice is to stay indoors during peak biting times, which is typically dusk to dawn for the mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus and during the day for mosquitoes that transmit Zika.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have to be outside during those times, it is best to wear clothing that can help prevent bites,\u201d Hill said. Appropriate wardrobe choices include long-sleeve shirts and long pants tucked into socks. It is also advisable to use an effective repellant, such as products containing a minimum of 20 to 30 percent – of diethyltoluamide, commonly known as DEET. The Centers for Disease Control also recommends products containing picaridin, lemon of eucalyptus and IR3535. More information is available on the CDC website at https:\/\/wwwnc.cdc.gov\/travel\/yellowbook\/2016\/the-pre-travel-consultation\/protection-against-mosquitoes-ticks-other-arthropods<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mosquitoes breed in standing water and their larvae and pupae need water to develop. Homeowners can help reduce mosquito populations in their back yard by dumping standing water out of buckets and wading pools, keeping lawns mowed and removing piles of brush or yard waste, Hill said.<\/p>\n

Ticks can thrive in back yards as well, particularly those adjacent heavily wooded areas, in tall grass and brush and under leaf piles.<\/p>\n

Hill said the warmer winter and wet spring could have created ideal conditions for ticks in some areas although conditions vary significantly from region to region.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve already been getting plenty of ticks,\u201d Hill said. \u201cThey\u2019re certainly active.\u201d<\/p>\n

The best defense against ticks is to wear light colored clothing with long sleeves and pants and to use a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved repellant. It is also a good idea to check your body and clothing for ticks immediately after coming back indoors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can remove a tick within 24 hours, you have a very good chance of catching them before they transmit,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n

Ticks feed on blood and tend to attach themselves to tender areas of the skin, including around the hairline and in the armpit and groin.<\/p>\n

For the full article, see Purdue Agriculture News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Resources:
\n<\/strong>Mosquitoes<\/a>, Purdue Extension Entomology
\nOne Small Bite: One Large Problem<\/a>, Got Nature?, Purdue Extension-FNR<\/p>\n

Darrin J Pack, Writer\/Editor
\nPurdue University Department of Agricultural Communication<\/p>\n

Catherine A Hill<\/a>, Professor of Entomology\/Vector Biology
\nPurdue University Department of Entomology<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While researchers say it is difficult to determine whether unusual weather patterns this winter and spring will lead to larger mosquito and tick populations in the Upper Midwest this summer, one thing is certain – anyone planning to spend time outdoors should take steps to avoid the potentially dangerous pests. \u201cEvery year we face the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,54],"tags":[649,151,647,426,170,648],"class_list":["post-9251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-safety","category-wildlife","tag-bug-bites","tag-mosquito","tag-mosquitos","tag-summer","tag-tick","tag-ticks","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9251"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9251\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34346,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9251\/revisions\/34346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}