5 Tick Infested Areas In Michigan

Key Points:

• Blacklegged ticks, primary vectors for Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, are expanding across Michigan’s Peninsulas, especially in wooded areas with dense leaf litter, while American dog ticks commonly inhabit grasslands and brush-lined regions.
• Popular recreation areas such as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Menominee River Corridor, Fort Custer Recreation Area, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, and Berrien County’s dune and woodland corridors all provide suitable moist, shaded habitats conducive to blacklegged tick populations.
• Lyme disease and anaplasmosis cases are reported in northern and southwestern Michigan, correlating with established blacklegged tick populations in these regions; American dog ticks are also present and pose a risk for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
• Visitors to tick-prone areas are advised to avoid contact with brush, perform thorough tick checks after outdoor activities, use EPA-registered repellents, and shower and change clothes promptly to reduce tick exposure.
• Michigan residents can monitor tick activity and obtain prevention information through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services MiTracking dashboard, MSU Extension, and local health departments.