Lyme Disease on the Rise in Minnesota – Are you Protected?

Lyme disease in Minnesota has been on a fast and steady rise for almost two decades now. Experts are weighing in with a variety of hypothesis as to why these numbers are climbing; from climate change, mild winters, and further deforestation – regardless the new reality is that ticks are here and they are dangerous.

Lyme Disease – A Rising Tide in Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Health reports that in 2002, there were 867 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Minnesota. This was an 88% increase from 2001 when there were only 461 cases of Lyme in the state.

Fast Forward to 2016 and the numbers are astonishing. The 1,305 cases of confirmed Lyme disease in 2016 represents a 51% increase in Lyme disease cases from 2002. But if you factor in the 821 probable cases, the numbers get frightening. With 2,126 probable and confirmed cases, we are looking at a 145% increase in Lyme disease in just under 15 years.

Preventing Tick Bites Lowers Risk for Lyme Disease

Preventing Lyme disease is not a single solution problem. While preventing tick bites is the best way to prevent Lyme, there are a variety of other important things you need to know. At Mosquito Squad, we suggest you take Lyme precautions from every angle. 

1. Know tick safety, inside and out. Be sure to conduct careful tick checks after spending time in untreated areas.
2. Keep ticks out of your yard. A two-tiered approach works best. First, eliminate tick habitats. Secondly, deploy tick control services using both barrier treatment and tick tubes for further tick reduction.
3. Know how to safely remove a tick.
4. Know the symptoms of the most common tick-borne illnesses in Minnesota.
5. Be aware of common tick and Lyme disease myths. Misinformation can be more dangerous than no information at all.

Remember to always seek advice from a doctor should you suspect you’ve been infected by a tick. If you have any questions at all regarding ticks or tick control, give our experts a call today. We provide free quotes for tick control on your property and our tick control program can lower your tick population by up to 90%.