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Mosquitoes tend to buzz off in the fall, but we're not out of the woods yet, because ticks could still be an issue for the rest of the year.
"They are just as active in the fall as they are in the early summer," said Sean Beckmann, associate professor of biology at Rockford University who oversees a tick study at Distillery Road Conservation Area in Belvidere. "In fact, the fall can be worse because the later tick life stages tend to be the active ones at this time of year. These ticks are more likely to transmit Lyme and other diseases then the younger ones."
So grab the bug repellent and cover your ankles as we dive in to six things you should know about ticks and tick prevention during the cooler seasons.
1. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease
Lyme disease is transmitted to a tick when it bites a rodent or deer, then they pass it on to a person or the family pet. So just because you get bit by a tick doesn't necessarily mean you contracted Lyme disease.
However, symptoms do occur in 80 percent of those infected — fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches and swollen lymph nodes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
2. Wear longer clothes — which you probably will anyway
Cooler weather means longer pants and shirt sleeves, which reduces the amount of exposed skin for a tick to latch onto.
But even with longer clothes, precautions should be taken. Beckmann recommends you tuck your pants into your socks.
"You may feel a bit silly," Beckmann said, "but this will keep a tick from getting under your clothes and it will make it easier to see them when you get out of the woods or grasses."
3. Use DEET
Use insect repellent that contains at least 30 percent DEET to fight off ticks during the fall, said Craig Beintema, Stephenson County public health administrator. But don't only apply it to your skin, Beintema said — make sure you spray down your longer clothes, too.
"Ticks are different than mosquitoes and flies — they're just looking for exposed skin," Beintema said. "Ticks, since they don't fly, they crawl, will get on your clothes and remain on your clothes. It's very important to spray that repellent on your clothes, especially the lower extremities."
4. Stay on trails
Cooler weather can bring you into close contact with ticks, Beckmann said.
"Ticks climb up low foliage and tall grasses waiting for something to come by and grab on to," he said. "Your best bet is to stay on marked trails where you are less likely to brush against plants that have ticks on them."
5. Do a tick check
When you get back inside from your outdoor activity, Beintema recommends doing a thorough tick check, just to make sure none of them latched on to you.
"Look at those exposed parts when you get home," Beintema said.
6. Don't forget the family pets
Fall is a great time to take the dog out in the woods or to a dog park, "but the dog is just as susceptible to a tick bite as you are," Beckmann said.
"Sometimes the ticks hitch a ride on the dog's fur and wind up biting you in the long run," he said. "It's worthwhile to check your pets after being outside. Even better, treat them with a flea and tick preventative year-round to keep them from bringing home an unwelcome pest."
Adam Poulisse: 815-987-1344; email@example.com; @adampoulisse