First Deer Tick Found! Ticks Emerging Early Due to Warm Weather

Our warm winter has brought deer ticks out much earlier than usual.

With temperatures approaching 50 degrees and little to no snow cover, it's not surprising that deer ticks are out this time of year, but it is unusual. Typically MMCD field staff don't begin finding deer ticks until March or April, but this year the first deer tick was collected on February 5th by Brian from MMCD's Rosemount facility. Brian said he collected the deer tick near the Burnsville area while out doing some field surveillance to prepare for the upcoming season.

Since our sighting, we have had several reports from residents throughout the Twin Cities that they've also spotted ticks this month or earlier in the winter. The unseasonably warm weather in December and now February means that ticks are likely to be active.

This is a good reminder that ticks tend to come out earlier and stay out later than mosquitoes and other insects. Anytime that temperatures are consistently above freezing, especially when there is minimal snow cover, ticks are likely to be active. In this unusual winter we are experiencing in Minnesota it's important to take the precautions now that you would normally do in April or May - put flea and tick preventative on your pets, cover up when going outside, and check yourself, kids, and pets any time you are near tick habitat.