By Jan Axelson
Northside News
Outdoor time in summer means being on the lookout for ticks. Related to spiders, ticks are the small, eight-legged critters that anchor themselves on humans and other animals to feed on their blood. Tick larvae look similar to adults but have just six legs and can be as small as a poppy seed. While feeding, ticks can transmit serious diseases, including Lyme disease.
This summer Warner Park has been home to a Tick Station where you can learn how to identify ticks and the diseases they spread. A tweezers is provided to remove ticks, along with a jar to deposit any ticks found.
When I visited the Tick Station, there were no ticks in the jar. I hope this means that Warner Park has few ticks. A QR code takes you to a survey to report observed ticks and more.
Through July, you can find the Warner Park Tick Station along the paved trail between the rainbow shelter and the dog park. In August, the Tick Station will move to Elver Park on the west side. Other tick stations are at the Branch Street entrance of Pheasant Branch Conservancy and at the Indian Lake County Dog Park.
To avoid tick bites when outdoors, apply repellent to clothes or skin. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and tall socks with shirt tucked into pants and pant legs tucked into socks. Avoid brushing up against plants on the edges of trails. And check for ticks after returning indoors.
The Tick Station is a project of the tick and mosquito surveillance team at Public Health Madison & Dane County. Learn more about ticks (and mosquitoes) at publichealthmdc.com.
