DENVER — Warmer weather means more people heading outdoors but it also means tick season is getting a head start this year.
2023’s wet spring, ideal conditions for ticks, helped increase the tick population, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
“Since ticks can live for multiple years, we are likely still seeing ticks from that population spike. Winter weather usually results in a decrease in tick population, but this year’s very mild winter has resulted in earlier tick activity than usual,” a CDPHE spokesperson told Denver7.
However MSU Denver Biology Professor Dr. Bob Hancock said, the timing is now completely out of the ordinary. What may be different this year is the number of ticks people are seeing. Dr. Hancock said factors like soil temperature and humidity play a big role in when ticks become active and warmer conditions can bring them out sooner.
Ticks tend to live in tall grass and brushy areas, latching onto people and pets as they pass by. “Especially because dog owners are becoming more and more ‘exposed’ by going to ‘ticky’ places with their dogs,” Dr. Hancock said.
Anya Thomson is a local business owner who picks up dogs across the Denver metro area and takes them into the mountains for hikes.
“We have 50 acres of private mountain property up in Bailey, Colorado. We pick up dogs in the city, drive up there, and then we hike for two hours, and then we bring them back,” Thomson said.
Thomson said ticks are a concern for her and she has seen them pop up earlier than she’s used to.
“Usually, we see it around mid-May. This year, because it was warm so much earlier, we were really surprised to find some on the dogs, like mid-April,” Thomson said.
She said nothing can compare to the number of ticks that she saw after a wet spring in 2023.
“There was a couple years ago when it was raining every day in the spring, and they were taking over the whole mountain. That was kind of crazy. We had to do a lot more tick checks and make sure all the dogs were well dosed up with the essential oils and things like that,” Thomson said.
Dr. Hancock said ticks, especially their larvae, feed on small mammals.
“Ticks need to feed as larvae before they can grow up to feed (as nymphs and eventually adults). They also acquire pathogens as larvae and therefore become vectors of public health significance,” Dr. Hancock said.
While Colorado may have ticks, the lxodes ticks that transmit Lyme disease are not found in this state. The cases found here are designated as travel related, but someone can get bit in another state or even bring them back on clothes and pets, potentially introducing them to our state.
Here are the most likely tick diseases you can be exposed to in Colorado, according to CDPHE.
Symptoms of the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever can include fever and headache. It can rapidly progress and become very dangerous, so antibiotics early on is key.
Colorado tick fever, can include fever, chills and body aches. This one is viral.
Soft tick relapsing fever can come with a high fever and headache. This one can also be treated with antibiotics.
Professor Hancock said a full body search for ticks is impossible to do alone.
“The general rule is to be vigilant in checking for ticks (whenever you are in tick country in any place/state) and remove them within 24 hours. Also, remember that immature ticks can be as small as “poppy seeds. Any curious inflammation (especially a “Bullseye”) should be checked by a physician,” he added.
For Thomson, she said the Rocky Mountain deer tick is most concerning for her because she sees it the most. On her property, she has a big meadow, trails and a forest.
For preventative measures she said she wears long pants and sleeves, and watches closely where she take her dogs.
“We try and stay away from the meadows, because the ticks tend to really like to cling to the tall grass, and then when the dog goes through it, they just jump right on. We also try to stay on trails,” Thomson said.
Dr. Hancock said people who are going outdoors should aim to wear light-colored pants that are completely tucked into light colored socks along with spraying insecticide around your socks, pants and ankles to repel ticks.
You can find information about reported cases of Colorado tick fever, tick-borne encephalitis viruses, and tick-borne relapsing fever on the state's reportable disease dashboard. Tularemia can also be spread by ticks, in addition to other transmission modes, like having contact with infected animals.
