Are you worried about ticks? If you’re not, it might be something that you need to have on your radar. Unfortunately, ticks in Ohio are a legitimate concern.

You only have to watch the news to realize every year there seems to be growing concern around tick-borne illnesses popping up in Cincinnati, Dayton OH and Northern Kentucky. The Ohio Department of Health has recently reported that Lyme disease cases are increasing in Ohio as blacklegged tick populations expand.

At Oasis Turf & Tree, we take tick prevention seriously and believe that it starts with education.

In this article, we will talk about some important things you should know about tick season. We will cover tick identification, including the most common types of ticks in Ohio.

Table of Contents

When is Tick Season?
Types of Ticks in Ohio
Are There Ticks in my Yard?
Choosing Flea and Tick Control in Cincinnati, Dayton OH and Northern Kentucky

Understanding the local threats we are faced with is helpful toward making tick prevention decisions that could help keep your family safe.

When is Tick Season?

Tick season in Ohio and Northern Kentucky is typically throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall. According to the Ohio Department of Health, cases of Lyme disease tend to ramp up in the Spring, peak in the Summer, and then slowly decline through the Fall. It’s important that your family is protected from ticks during these active periods.

Ticks are arachnids and close relatives of spiders. The typical lifecycle of a tick is one to two years and they have four stages of growth. This includes the egg stage, larvae stage, nymph stage, and then the adult stage.

Types of Ticks in Ohio

According to the Ohio State University Extension, there are three types of ticks that are most commonly found in Ohio and also of “medical importance” because of their ability to transmit diseases.

These are:

The American Dog Tick

This is the most commonly encountered tick in Ohio. They are brown in color and around 3/16 inch as an adult. This is the largest tick in Ohio. According to OSU, this tick is the primary transmitter of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

The Blacklegged Tick

Commonly called the deer tick, the blacklegged tick has been shown to be an increasing species here in Ohio. They are extremely tiny, making them very hard to spot. This is one of the reasons they pose such a risk. According to OSU, the blacklegged tick is the only vector of Lyme disease in the Eastern and Midwestern United States.

The Lone Star Tick

In Ohio, this tick species is spreading due to bird migration. An adult female is about 3/16 inch and brown with a distinct silver marking (from which gets its lone star name). According to OSU, lone star ticks are the primary transmitter of human monocytic ehrlichiosis and southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).

Are There Ticks in my Yard?

People commonly think of ticks in Ohio as being found in the woods…and that’s undoubtedly a prime habitat for them. But ticks can also be found in residential lawns, parks, school yards, and many other locations that have grass for them to climb and stalk prey from.

One of the main reasons for this is the fact that ticks are moved about on the backs of wildlife. Rodents, stray cats, deer, and many other animals might be carrying ticks that can drop off in various new locations.

Ticks can definitely be found in the lawns and landscapes of Ohio and Northern Kentucky homeowners. “Border areas,” where a residential property backs up to a wooded area tend to be a thriving tick habitat. But ticks could potentially be living anywhere on your property and in search of their next meal - and they don’t care if it’s blood from you, your kids, or your dog.

Choosing Flea and Tick Control in Cincinnati, Dayton OH and Northern Kentucky

Knowing that ticks in Ohio can be such a major threat, it’s worth exploring professional tick control options.

When done by a professional, the materials used for tick yard treatments in Cincinnati can target ticks as well as provide help with ants and fleas on your property. These applications are timed so that you can enjoy a safer property with fewer nuisance pests all year long.

At Oasis Turf & Tree, our Ant, Flea & Tick Pest Control service is only a fraction of the cost of other providers but delivers tremendous value by keeping these dangerous pests away from your property. Our four-step application process helps keep fleas, ticks, and ants away year-round so that you can truly enjoy your time outdoors without worrying about ticks.

If you’d like to find out more about tick control for your Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio, or Northern Kentucky yard, contact us for a free consultation or give us a call at 513-697-9090 so that we can answer your questions.

Image Sources: american dog tick, lone star tick