Georgia is home to more than twenty species of ticks. Here’s what you need to know.

Summer means warmer weather, more family outings and the possibility of an encounter with a creepy crawly, also known as a tick.

Tick ​​season is year-round in Georgia, experts say. However, ticks are most active during the warmer months.

“I remind my students that ticks were in the Southeast millions of years before humans appeared,” says Nancy Hinkle, professor of entomology at the University of Georgia. “So they’ve experienced a wide range of conditions – including different climate changes… icing and glacier retreat. They have adapted to our climate and can probably handle anything we throw at them.”

Hinkle said there are about 23 species of ticks in the state.

“Each tick species has its favorite hosts and favorite habitats,” Hinkle says. “While the deer tick is only active in winter, most of our pest ticks are active from spring to fall. Some tick species feed only on birds, so you’ll never find them on dogs or humans – or other mammals. Some do best in swamps, others thrive in pine forests. There is even one species, the brown dog tick, that feeds exclusively on dogs and occurs almost exclusively in buildings.”

Tripp Williams, UGA public information officer in Columbia County, said the Lone Star Tick is the most common tick species found in Georgia.

“The lone star oak likes warm temperatures and high humidity, so Georgia summers are suitable for that,” Williams says. “If conditions get too dry for it, it can still hang out in our irrigated lawns and do just fine. As long as our environment is suitable for the ticks’ hosts – deer, possums, squirrels, foxes, armadillos, voles, rats, cows, horses – whatever the tick likes, the ticks will thrive.”

There are three types of ticks most commonly associated with humans, including:

Lone star tick is reddish brown to brown in color. The adult females can be recognized by a single white spot on the back. They are usually a third of an inch long before being fed and engorged up to half an inch long.

American dog tick is oval and flattened in shape. Depending on whether or not they have been fed host blood, they can grow to over half an inch. American dog ticks are brown with whitish to gray markings. As larvae, they have six legs, while nymphs and adults have eight legs. These limbs allow them to effectively crawl through their environment, as well as through animal fur and human hair.

Black-legged tick females, unfed, are about 2.5 cm in size and dark reddish brown in color. After feeding, these ticks can expand to more than three inches in length and become paler brown to yellow, grayish, and dark gray-brown in color.

A new study published in Parasites & Vectors, conducted by researchers at Emory University, devoted research to tracking ticks across the state to help monitor emerging diseases.

The research showed that the lone star tick is an aggressive blood seeker that can spread pathogens through its bites. The bite of the lone star tick is associated with a potentially life-threatening allergy to red meat and dairy products known as alpha-gal syndrome.

Hinkle offers a few tips to keep in mind when you’re out and about this summer.

“Consider applying a repellent containing DEET to your skin; it is still the best,” she said. “You can buy clothes that have been pre-treated with permethrin so that you and your children can wear them. It’s pricey, but they claim the repellent lasts as long as the garment. Or you can go to your local hiking store and purchase a permethrin formulation to treat your clothing. Follow label directions – do not apply if someone is wearing the garment.”

Hinkle said there are a few things to remember after an outdoor trip.

“Anytime you’ve been in a potential tick habitat, do a tick check,” she said. “Strip naked, stand in front of a mirror and examine every part of your body for ticks. Pay special attention to body folds and hairy areas. Run your fingers through your scalp and feel for ticks; pay special attention to the hairline. Remember, tick nymphs, baby ticks are the size of poppy seeds, so they can be easy to miss.

Hinkle gives a few tips if you find a tick on your body:

• Don’t worry about using any special tools or techniques, just pull it out.

• Don’t worry about leaving the mouthparts behind, your body will expel them.

• Store the tick in a ziplock bag and store it in the refrigerator. Be sure to include the date, location and who it is attached to. If the individual develops symptoms, the tick can be tested for pathogens.

• There is some evidence that the longer an infected tick feeds, the more likely it is to transmit a disease to you. Early removal is a good prevention.

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Funding Partners.

Erica Van Buren is a climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact her at [email protected] or at X: @EricaVanBuren32.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Georgia’s climate makes state real estate for 23 tick species