Why Ticks Are Thriving in Places They’ve Never Been Before

America has a tick problem. While the overall number of ticks may not be increasing annually, the species of ticks that call particular regions of the nation home have changed. Previously, only one or two tick species were typically found in each state. Now, due to increased migration and warmer winters that prevent ticks from hibernating, more species are present in each state and remain active for longer periods each year. This means the risk of contracting a tick-related disease has increased significantly. To help combat the tick problem, Ohio State University has launched its Tick Testing Lab. The results may yield important information regarding migration and species spread that can also be used in other states.

Why Ohio State Started The Tick Testing Lab

Before the creation of the Tick Testing Lab, there was no place for people to test which type of tick they found on themselves or their animals. This meant there was no way of knowing if the tick was carrying a disease. Given the massive problem with the tick population in Ohio right now, there needed to be a way to test ticks to determine not only which kind they were but also whether they carried any diseases.

According to Dr. Tim McDermott, a veterinarian and Ohio State University Extension educator, the number of tick species of concern has risen from one 15 years ago to five today.

“We have a huge problem with ticks in Ohio. We’ve gone from one tick of medical importance to humans, companion animals, and livestock about 15 years ago to five now, including adding two new ticks to Ohio in just the past couple of years,” McDermott explains. “You can encounter a tick pretty much anywhere in Ohio. I will say the hot spots are going to be the eastern half of Ohio and the southern part of Ohio.”

Additionally, because ticks in Ohio thrive in anything from wooded areas to pastures and meadows, those living in eastern and southern Ohio are at the biggest risk. Of the five tick species, three are of the greatest concern: the lone star tick, the deer tick, and the longhorn tick. These ticks carry diseases that are dangerous to people and can even be deadly.

What the Lab Ticks Can Show Scientists

Given the large population of ticks, and worse still, the large population of ticks that can carry life-threatening diseases, Ohio State hopes that with each tick turned into the university, the pathogens being carried can be identified.

If the diseases the ticks are carrying can be identified, Ohio residents living near where the ticks were found can be warned. While a warning will not diminish the number of ticks in the region, it will make people more aware. By informing people about the dangers of tick exposure, they can take steps to protect themselves and their pets from tick bites. According to McDermott, who spoke with WOSU Public Media, before the OSU Extension program, there was no way to identify the ticks and their pathogens in Ohio. That is about to change.

“We have our Infectious Disease Institute discovery theme working with the College of Veterinary Medicine, where I am courtesy appointed using the extension outreach,” McDermott says. “And we have a laboratory where, if you find a tick embedded in you or one of your animals, you can submit that to the lab, and they can test it to see if it carries any of the pathogens that cause disease that we worry about from ticks.”

“Prior to this lab, we had no testing service here in Ohio,” McDermott explains. “There were a couple of other places that potentially could do some laboratory testing, but now we have an expert right here where the problem is located.”

By enlisting the public’s help in this matter, Ohio State hopes to prevent many residents from becoming ill or worse. All that those submitting ticks have to do is pay $49.99 for the testing. By doing this, both Ohio residents and OSU can work together to help stop the spread of Lyme disease.

Which Ticks Spread Disease?

There are 50 different species of ticks that live in the U.S. Of these ticks, some are more prevalent than others. Additionally, some species of ticks are more dangerous than others. Regarding spreading diseases, several species of ticks should be watched out for more so than others. Those ticks include:

Given the number of diseases these handful of ticks carry, it is important to know which ticks reside in different regions of the US. But because so many are able to successfully migrate, the tick population present one year may not be the same the following year.

Why Ticks Have Been Able to Migrate Successfully

Historically, ticks have stayed in specific geographical regions. They could not migrate very far, given that cold winters caused them to go dormant, and it would not be until the following spring that they would become active again. However, with climate change making winter temperatures warmer, ticks are not going dormant as they once were. Consequently, ticks have migrated to areas over the last handful of years where they had never been experienced before.

Ticks can move from one region to another by being a stowaway on migrating birds. This has been something that ticks have always done. However, the difference now is that ticks are able to survive in most of the climates where they are dropped off. According to Dr Lorenza Beati of Georgia Southern University, the co-author of a November 2024 study published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, ticks are becoming an invasive species around the US. This is problematic given the diseases they carry.

“Geographic distribution is changing very rapidly in many tick species,” Beati explains. “For some migrating exotic ticks, global warming may create conditions at their northern destination that are similar to their usual range. If warmer climatic conditions are combined with the presence of suitable vertebrate hosts for all tick life stages, the chance of establishment is going to increase.”

This means that even in states not known for having large tick populations, ticks have become problematic due to migrating birds acting as hosts and milder winters increasing their chances of survival.

How to Safely Remove a Tick

There are methods for removing a tick that go back generations. However, not all methods are the best. According to experts, the best method involves using nothing more than a pair of tweezers. The tweezers used should not have squared-off tips but should instead be pointed. This is because ticks can be very small, and the squared-off tweezers will not be able to effectively pull them out.

Once you have the proper tweezers, follow these steps to remove a tick:

• Clean the area where the tick is embedded with rubbing alcohol
• Get the tweezers as close as possible to the tick’s head when removing it
• Pull the tick out slowly but firmly without twisting, as this could cause the tick’s head to be left behind
• Once the tick is removed, clean the area for a second time with rubbing alcohol

When the tick is removed, it should not be squished, as this can allow diseases to spread. Instead, flush the tick down the toilet, wrap it firmly in tape, or douse it in rubbing alcohol and seal it in a plastic bag. Additionally, if there are labs in your state similar to the Ohio State University Tick Laboratory, the tick can be sent there for identification and to determine if it is carrying any diseases.