‘Tick Explosion’ Spurs Entomologist to Offer Tips on Avoiding Disease

BARNSTABLE – Barnstable County’s entomologist Larry Dapsis said the region is experiencing a “tick explosion,” and weather really doesn’t have much to do with it.

He said that many falsely believe that the mild winter caused the boom in tick numbers, but in reality, ticks just go dormant in subfreezing temperatures. The cold doesn’t actually kill them.

But now that summer has nearly begun and the insects are out of dormancy, Dapsis said he’s worried about the one variety of tick which is responsible for most of the state’s disease outbreaks.

He reports a dog owner sent him a bag with about 40 ticks she found on her pooch after it was outside for only 15 minutes.

Right now, deer ticks are in their “nymph stage,” and are only about the size of a poppy seed. Their diminutive size makes them hard to locate on the body.

But the entomologist did offer some tips to avoid tick-borne illness.

First and foremost, performing regular tick checks should be a daily priority, he said.

Tossing outdoor clothes in the drier can help, too. But don’t be fooled into thinking that ticks can survive a spell in the washing machine.

“They just come out shiny, that’s the only way it affects them,” Dapsis said.

Another insider’s tip: try treating clothing with permethrin solutions, available at outdoor-oriented stores. Dapsis said he’s not had a tick bite in the six years since he started treating his clothes with the safe substance.

He pointed out that kids ages 5 through 9 are most susceptible to Lyme disease.

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