In Northwest Indiana you're most likely to run into three species: the blacklegged tick (also called the deer tick), the American dog tick, and the lone star tick. Each looks a little different, prefers a slightly different habitat, and carries its own set of risks.
Ticks are risky, so being able to identify the type of tick that you’re working with is a good idea. It can help you rest a little easier after going outdoors.
If there is one tick that makes it in the news the most, it’s the blacklegged tick. It’s the one that most often spreads Lyme disease as well as anaplasmosis. Adults are reddish-brown with a darker shield near the head, which is how you can easily spot them. But the nymphs are tiny, about the size of a poppy seed. The nymphs cause most disease transmission precisely because they are so easy to miss. You can often find them in wooded and brushy areas and the leaf litter beneath trees, which the dune woodlands and shaded yards around here supply in abundance. It stays active even in cool weather.
The American dog tick is the larger brown one with off-white or gray marbled markings on its back. It’s the classic “wood tick” that people pull off the dog. These tend to go for grassy trail edges and field borders more than deep forest. It can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia, though it doesn't transmit Lyme. You'll see it most from late spring through summer.
Then you have the lone star tick. It is aggressive and quick, named for the single white dot on the female's back. Historically a southern species, it has been pushing its way up north and has been more present in Northwest Indiana in recent years. Its bite is linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a developing allergy to red meat, and it can carry ehrlichiosis. Unlike ticks that sit and wait, it actively hunts down a host.
Though the ticks themselves differ, they all have a few things in common. They’re tiny, they latch on quietly, and they are far easier to deal with if you catch them early. Size and color help you know which species bit you, but the answer should always be the same regardless: take the thing off as quickly as you can. This reduces the odds of falling ill with a tick-borne disease.
If you're tired of guessing what's latching onto your family, Mosquito Squad of Northwest Indiana can help. Mosquito Squad provides tick control that treats the woods, brush, and leaf-littered edges where all of these species wait, helping protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
