Michigan’s Tick Invasion: Sightings Soar 168% in 5 Years

If you thought Michigan summers were all bonfires and beaches, sorry to ruin it—but ticks are crashing the party in record numbers. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Lyme disease cases are up 168% over the past five years. That's not a typo. It's an invasion of "ick."

RELATED: New Tick Found in Michigan Raises Disease Risk

State tick wrangler Rachel Burkholder, speaking with WILX, states that the MDHHS has already received over 600 tick-related emails this year—and we're still in peak season for the tiny bloodsuckers.

Why Michigan Tick Cases Are Soaring

So, why are we seeing a tick boom in Michigan? Warmer winters and mobile mammals have brought the problem to our front door, with an increasing number of cases reported of ticks found in freshly mowed lawns.

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The main offender is the Blacklegged (deer) Tick. This lovely little vampire is the one who brings Lyme disease to the insect infection potluck. However, Lyme disease may get the headlines, but other species of ticks that live in Michigan carry with them life-altering illnesses.

Diseases Beyond Lyme: Anaplasmosis & Alpha‑Gal

Michigan is also seeing a rise in Anaplasmosis, whose symptoms include, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), respiratory and organ failure or even death. Then there's Alpha-Gal Syndrome, which the Mayo Clinic says is carried by the Lone Star tick (seen above), and may cause a red meat allergy that can cause swelling, hives, and some pretty unpleasant stomach conditions.

RELATED: Lyme Disease: Revealing Michigan's Risk For Tick-Borne Illnesses

CDC‑Approved Tick Prevention Tips

So, how do you stay tick and disease-free? Here are some tips from the CDC:

• Spray up: Use EPA-approved repellents and apply them like you're a teenage boy with your first bottle of Axe Body Spray.
• Cover up: Long sleeves and long pants are the new tick-free chic.
• Stick to the trail: Avoid brushing up against thick, tick-friendly foliage.
• Shower: Rinse off ASAP and dry your clothes on high for at least 10 minutes to nuke any hitchhikers.
• Check yourself: And your kids. And your pets. Basically, check anything with a pulse.

Ticks are a part of life in Michigan. And they're no longer just in the woods for hikers and hunters to worry about—they're in your backyard. But with a bit of prep and paranoia, you can still enjoy the outside without becoming a tick buffet.