Yes, ticks can survive very well in tall meadow weeds. Weeds provide shaded and hold moisture, both of which ticks need to survive in hot and dry weather. Weeds also make it easier for them to wait with legs outstretched until hosts pass by.
Despite being called wood ticks, American dog ticks prefer fields and meadows to forests. Deep shaded woods don’t hold nearly as many of them as sunny overgrown fields do.
These ticks find hosts the same way other ticks do. They climb on grass stems or tall weeds to about ankle or knee height. They then wait with front legs outstretched until a host passes by. Carbon dioxide and body heat can tell them one is on the way, as can vibration. The presence of tall grass and weeds in meadows only makes this easier.
Ticks tend to be most active from spring to midsummer. Adult American dog ticks are most active from April to July across Southwest Michigan, tapering as weather dries out in late summer. These kinds of ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia, and prolonged attachment can occasionally cause tick paralysis, which only goes away when the tick is removed. They don’t, thankfully, transmit Lyme disease. That’s a problem with blacklegged ticks, which are a problem here, but they prefer shaded woods and leaf litter.
American dog ticks are noticeably larger than blacklegged ticks and have mottled white or gray markings on the back. To avoid them, stay on mowed paths and out of tall growth. Tuck pants into socks and use repellent with DEET or picaridin. If you’re outdoorsy, consider treating your clothes with permethrin because it can drop ticks on contact.
When you come inside, check yourself (and kids and pets) for ticks. Remove any you find promptly. This is a good habit to develop because it can reduce your odds of falling ill with a tick-borne disease.
If ticks are turning up along your field edges, Mosquito Squad of Southwest Michigan can help. Mosquito Squad treats the tall grass and brushy edges where ticks wait for a host. This will help you protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring cycle.
