Do you think Utah is too dry for ticks? Think again. Utah actually has more than 20 different species of ticks that live in our brush and trails. Several of these ticks bite humans and cause illnesses.
As the weather warms up and the snow melts, ticks become more active. We see most tick activity and tick-borne diseases happen right now, from April through July. Across the country, tick populations are expanding, and tick-borne diseases are increasing. This means you need to know the risks when you explore the outdoors. Here in Utah, ticks carry diseases like Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and soft tick relapsing fever. These illnesses can make people feel very sick.
Luckily, you can keep your family safe with three simple steps: Protect, Prevent, and Report.
First, protect yourself and your family before you hit the trail. Apply an EPA-registered bug spray and tuck your long pants into your socks. This simple physical barrier keeps ticks off your skin.
Second, prevent disease after you spend time outside. Perform a full-body tick check on yourself, your kids, and your pets. If you find a tick, remove it right away. Grab a pair of fine-tipped tweezers and pinch the bug as close to the skin as possible. Pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Skip the old myths, too. Never use matches, nail polish, or petroleum jelly to force the tick out. Once you remove the bug, wash the bite area and your hands with soap and water. You usually have a 24- to 48-hour window to remove an attached tick before it can spread disease.
Finally, report any health changes to your doctor. Tell your medical provider if you develop a fever or a rash within two weeks of a tick bite. You also help our health department track local risks when you send the tick to us for identification. Once we receive your tick, our team figures out exactly what type of tick it is. We then send those results directly back to you. This way, you know exactly which bug bit you and what specific illnesses you may need to watch out for.
The most important action you can take today is to make tick checks a mandatory habit every single time you, your family, and your pets come inside from the beautiful trails across Utah.
To learn more about preventing tick bites and how to send ticks to our team for identification, visit ticks.utah.gov.
