Ticks are pet pests and pose a threat of Lyme Disease. Every pet parent must educate themselves with the different types of ticks and find ways to protect their family and pets.
Pet Parents offers several Parasite Risk Maps: Here’s the U.S. Tick Distribution Map
Ticks are present year round throughout the United States.
We love and enjoy the outdoors. As a pet parent to a senior dog, I have to be extra careful in areas where I take Sugar. For safety, it is important to educate myself on the different kinds of ticks in the state I live, Illinois. Lyme Disease is the most common tickborne disease in Illinois. There are 15 species of ticks reside in Illinois, only 5 types of ticks are likely to be encountered by pets and people.
5 Common Ticks in Illinois
1) American Dog Tick – also known as wood tick. In Illinois, the adult American dog tick is most active in April, May and June. By September, the adults are inactive and are rarely observed. The American dog tick can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and possibly ehrlichiosis to humans.
2) Lone Star Tick – primarily found in the southern half of Illinois, although it can occasionally be found further north. The lone star tick is most active from April through the end of July. A Lone Star Tick may transmit tularemia and ehrlichiosis to humans. The lone star tick is not believed to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease.
3) Blacklegged Tick – also known as Deer Tick. These ticks are found in grassy wooded areas along trails. The blacklegged tick can transmit Lyme disease, babesiosis and possibly ehrlichiosis to humans. This tick has been found sporadically in many Illinois counties. Additionally, Illinois residents may encounter the deer tick during trips to neighboring midwest states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.
In our area, we have several forest preserves with lovely walking trails. On our walks. we are always in the look out for these backlegged ticks (deer ticks). When Sugar was 5 yrs. old, she had a deer tick after visiting the state of Wisconsin. We were lucky to see it and was able to remove it immediately.
4) Brown Dog Tick – also known as Kennel Tick. This tick feeds on dogs, but rarely bites people. The brown dog tick is found primarily in kennels or homes with dogs. These ticks may be found hiding in cracks, behind radiators, under rugs and furniture, and on draperies and walls. Since a brown dog tick is tropical, it does not survive Illinois winters outdoors.
5) Winter Tick – feeds on large mammals and affects Illinois deer, cattle and horses.
Take Appropriate Preventive Measures from Tick Bites and Disease
On our previous posts, we shared 3 Ways to Protect Your Pet. One way is from Flea and Tick products like the Seresto collar. Sugar has been wearing the Seresto collar since June.
Sersto collar claims to be effective for up to 8 months. It is a light, soft and waterproof collar. What I like the most is its non-greasy and odorless. For the past months, we have enjoyed walking on trails and prairie gardens. As a pet parent, the Seresto collar has provided me piece of mind that Sugar is being protected at all times.
Seresto Collar: 2014 Better Homes and Gardens: Best New Product Award
For more information about Seresto Collar and other Bayer products, visit PetParents.com. Also we invite you to Sign-up and save $20 on Seresto products
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Bayer/Seresto and the Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Seresto product but Golden Woofs only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Bayer/Seresto is not responsible for the content of this article.
Thankfully, I don’t have ticks in my immediate area. But I’ve met quite a few dogs in the past that had some really bad tick problems. Too bad Seresto wasn’t around back then!
thankfully so far I have not had a problem with ticks but we keep an eye out for them
Scary. Take care, furry friends and parents!
I’m so glad that we have no ticks in my area. I will send the link to your post to Mollie they currently have to solve some problems with this small critters.
We are using Seresto Collars and have used it in two years now. Not one tick or one flea had been found since we started.
We have a terrible time with ticks here in the Northeast. Excellent and informative post. Thanks Sugar!!
GOOD MORNING BEAUTIFUL FRIEND!!
HUGS MADI YOUR BFFF
WE like that it says… ONLY ONE Baff per MONTH… when using these… MOM is not happy about it though.
Remember… Only one Baff or One Swim per month. Or the collars will only work for 5 months instead of the 8 they say it will. It needs the OILS in our furs and skin to make the thingys work right. Mom even Called the Company about this. WE were THRILLED to learn that we can only have ONE Baff per month. Just Sayin.
Ticks are evil! Thanks for sharing the map, that’s pretty handy!
Thanks for the great advice Sugar! Love Dolly
Yikes! There are a lot if effected areas
Lily & Edward
I’m in Delaware and we get lots of ticks. Heck, last winter Titan picked up a few hitchers! Thankfully, after every walk, I do an inspection. Titan uses Frontline and also Wondercide EVolv when the ticks get real bad. I hate thos little suckers! Keep Sugar safe gf!
Great post sugar. Ticks are nasty and give you nasty diseases. Best to be protected.
Another wonderfully info packed post!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Didn’t know there was so many types of ticks – we just know they are all yucky 🙂 🙂
We make sure to take our medicine every month PLUS MAma makes sure to get us vaccinated for Lymes!! Mama checks us for ticks every day 🙂
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
Yuck! No ticks, they are all awful!
We have woods in our backyard and ticks are a big problem! My Maltese, Nelly, tested positive for Lyme’s Disease even though we didn’t find the tick. I found 3 small ticks on me after spending an hour out in the woods one night. After our indoor cat had a severe flea infestation one summer, my tolerance for ticks and fleas is nil!
That is well scary. We stay well away from the deer parks where the ticks are. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Best wishes Molly
We don’t have ticks, but certainly aren’t naive enough to think they aren’t around us. We stay ever vigilant.
Sugie, glad you wear your booties outside but be careful! We don’t go outside and haven’t seen any of those in our house!!!!!!!!
Since we is inside kitties we have never seen a tick but our mama has. She has been removing them from cats at the spay/neuter events. The kitties are then given a dose of Revolution (we get that too since a couple of our outside siblings come inside sometimes) to control fleas and ticks.
Great info! I’m up in Michigan. Ticks are nasty little things! It seems like we learn more and more everyday about diseases that ticks can bring to us. I just found out through some research I did for an article that ticks are now suspected of carrying Bartonella (Cat Scratch Fever/Disease). Yikes!
We don’t like the sounds of those little boogers either beautiful Sugar.
So nice to get to know you and this is a great post. I am a mama to a senior dog. Piri our cocker spaniel is 15 years old. He’s been on Frontline but we found a tick on him a couple of months ago and it totally baffled us! He’s been getting his lyme disease vaccinations though.
Thanks for this tips! Just so helpful. You “TICK” care! 😀