Spring and early summer are the most dangerous because that's when nymphal blacklegged ticks are most active. They’re tiny and easy to miss, which is why they are most responsible for transmitting Lyme disease.
Ticks are around for most of the year. You can be bitten just about any time it’s above freezing outside. So it might seem a little odd to single out spring and early summer as being the riskiest time of year. But for that, you can blame tick nymphs.
Blacklegged ticks move through three life stages, larva to nymph to adult, over a couple of years, and each stage takes a single blood meal. The nymphs do most of their feeding in late spring and early summer, roughly May through July in Michigan.
Nymphs are absolutely tiny, which is a large part of why they are so risky. They’re about the size of poppy seeds. They can attach, feed, and drop off without you ever noticing. And this can all happen after the tick nymph has consumed blood from a mouse infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Spring and early summer are also when people get back to gardening and yard work. It’s when the first real hikes of the year take place. And it’s also before anyone starts seriously thinking about ticks. That’s a bad combination.
Don’t wait for summer to start thinking about ticks. The most dangerous window is spring and early summer, so that’s when tick checks, repellents, and yard treatment matter most.
If you're tired of the riskiest ticks being the ones you can't even see, Mosquito Squad of Greater Lansing can help. Mosquito Squad treats the leaf litter and brushy edges where nymphs wait, helping protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
