Staying safe from ticks this summer

Benoit and his students study ticks, mosquitoes and other disease-carrying pests in his biology lab in UC's College of Arts and Sciences.

Benoit said Cincinnati has seen a dramatic increase black-legged ticks, which can carry Lyme disease.

The best way to address ticks is to check clothing and the fur of your dog after walks in the woods. Benoit said ticks can sometimes hide around a dog's soft ears. He recommends removing them by hand or with tweezers, particularly before they have a chance to latch their mouthparts into the skin.

Lyme disease is becoming more common in eastern Ohio and is often spread by immature ticks, which can be especially hard to detect, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The nymphs are less than two millimeters long.

Lyme disease symptoms can be observed 3 to 30 days after a tick bite and can include a bullseye rash, headache, fever, chills, fatigue and sharp joint pain. Lyme disease is often treated with a course of antibiotics. 

Watch the Fox19 story.

Featured image at top: UC Professor Joshua Benoit said this could be a bad summer for ticks. Photo/Jay Yocis/UC