The open, sunny, sandy beach itself is low-risk for ticks, as they don't do well in hot, dry, exposed sand. The real tick habitat at the shoreline is right next to it: the dune grass, brush, tall grass, and wooded edges you cross to get there.
You’re probably not going to run into ticks when you’re on the beach. But you’re likely to run into them when going to the beach. So if you’re worried about running into ticks, that’s a reasonable concern.
The open beach is not where ticks thrive. Ticks dry out and die in hot, sunny, exposed conditions, and bare sand offers no host animals, no shade, and no moisture. Lying out on the open beach is very low-risk for picking up a tick.
Dune grass and beach grass, brushy areas, and the wooded or grassy paths you walk through to reach the sand are all great places for ticks to call home. All have the moisture and shade that ticks need. They’re also places where hosts like deer, rodents, and birds pass through. It’s the to-and-from walk that puts you in tick territory.
Along the Lake Michigan shoreline, the ticks in those zones can include the blacklegged deer tick that carries Lyme and anaplasmosis. Both are on the rise in the state, so it's a real rather than a hypothetical concern.
If you’re looking to reduce your odds of running into ticks while going to the beach, here’s what you can do. Stick to the open sand and cleared paths, avoid brushing through dune grass and tall vegetation, and do a tick check after your visit, paying special attention if you cut through any grassy or wooded stretch to get there. At home, treating the vegetated edge zones of a lakeshore yard targets exactly where these ticks wait.
If you're tired of second-guessing every walk down to the water, Mosquito Squad of West Michigan Lakeshore can help. Mosquito Squad treats the dune-grass and brushy edge zones where shoreline ticks gather. This can help you protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
