- Author: California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section
You might think ticks are found only on hiking trails or in wild, natural areas, but in some parts of California, ticks can also live in backyards and neighborhoods. Californians living near natural areas (such as open fields, parks, or urban hiking trails) should get to know their arachnid neighbors and learn how to avoid ticks at home.
Meet the Western Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes pacificus)
Ticks are found outdoors in brushy, wooded areas on plants, rocks, logs, and in leaves and twigs on the ground. Beginning in fall, adult western blacklegged ticks emerge in California, especially in northern coastal counties and the Sierra Nevada foothills. These ticks lurk on bushes, shrubs, and the...
In honor of Lyme Disease Awareness Month and in response to some misinformation about ticks on social media recently, we'd like to share some tick and Lyme disease facts.
- Ticks can spread several diseases to humans and pets, but Lyme disease is the most common. In California, Lyme disease is carried by the western blacklegged tick which occurs throughout the state.
- Lyme disease has been reported in most California counties, but some areas pose higher risks than others.
- You can
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, giving us an opportunity to shine a spotlight on a serious illness transmitted by certain ticks.
Lyme disease is often associated with the northeastern and upper Midwestern areas of the United States. However, the disease has been found in some northern California counties, which means the risk of contracting the disease is possible in California.
Lyme disease can be transmitted to humans and pets through the bite of infected ticks. In California, the tick capable of transmitting Lyme disease is the western blacklegged...
![Adult males (top) and adult female (bottom) of the western blacklegged tick. [E. Acquino]](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/43436small.jpg)
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a campaign that brings attention to this tick-borne illness.
Lyme disease can be transmitted to humans and pets in California from the bite of an infected western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease causes flu-like symptoms that left untreated, may progress to arthritic, neurologic, or cardiac problems. Incidences of Lyme disease have occurred in some northern California counties, with some counties posing a higher risk of contracting the disease than others..
There are several ways to protect yourself from Lyme disease. If you spend time outdoors in tick-infested areas, take these simple precautions:
- Wear full...
![Life stages of the western blacklegged tick. [CA Dept Public Health]](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/UCIPMurbanpests/blogfiles/36433small.jpg)
May is Lyme Disease Awareness month, so what better time to tell you about the updated Pest Note: Lyme Disease in California.
This updated publication, by authors Robert S. Lane and Anne Kjemtrup, contains new information on incidents of Lyme disease in California.
You can read about the main carrier of Lyme disease, the western blacklegged tick, including the biology of the tick, specific habitats (dense woods and trails with leaf litter), places and times of the year where bites from disease-carrying ticks are...
