News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Tick season winding down across the Upper Cumberland, but that does not mean letting your guard down against the parasites related to spiders.
Six different types of ticks call Tennessee home, with the American Dog Tick, the Lonestar Tick, and the Brown Dog Tick most common. Putnam County UT Ag Extension Agent Wayne Key said ticks thrive around our region.
“They are very common in recreation areas,” Key said. “They can even be seen around homes for example. They like wooded areas and trails if you are hiking at one of the falls here in the Upper Cumberland you can possibly have them on you.”
Overton County UT AG Extension Office Agent Jason Garrett said ticks carry deadly diseases such as Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis and Lyme Disease. Some ways to prevent ticks are constantly mowing the lawn, pest control, and using a tick-repellent spray called Deet.
“When you are bitten by a tick the bacteria that is shot into your body can cause harmful effects on your organs,” Garrett said. “Just make you so sick. I’ve seen people have to get ports put in their arms to shoot antibiotics straight into their veins, It’s very bad.”
Garrett said he encourages everyone to check themselves for ticks if they have been outside.
“If you are outside before you get in check yourself for ticks,” Garrett said. “I do all the time. I’m a farmer on the side and thank the good lord I haven’t gotten one on me in the past two years because I’m scared to death of them.”
Key said ticks are most commonly spread through pets and wildlife.
“Pets, dogs, and cats are the most common that can bring ticks in from the yard, from grassy fields near the house, or from a wooded area they can get on them,” Key said. “Deer and wildlife for example transmit them from area to area so that’s how they get spread from certain parts of the state to other parts of the state.”
Ticks have even impacted livestock in the Upper Cumberland. Key said the UT Extension Office is actively studying the effects of ticks and how prevalent they are on beef cattle.
