Increased Populations of Ticks Found in Butte County

The western black-legged tick

The Butte County Mosquito and Vector Control District reminded Butte County residents that tick populations continue to grow in the area and outdoor enthusiasts should use caution when adventuring outside.

Officials recently compiled surveillance activities that indicated increased tick populations in Chico’s Bidwell Park and the trails around the Lake Oroville Recreation Area. They recorded sightings of the western black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick.

Ticks are usually found in grassy areas in Butte County and cause harm by attaching to a human or animal and feeding off their blood for days. They are known to pass along diseases, most notably Lyme disease.

Chico’s Outdoor Utopia – Bidwell Park

They can be found in cool, moist areas like grass, logs, leaves and picnic tables. To avoid encountering a tick, it’s helpful to wear long sleeved shirts and pants. To remove an attached tick, use the following steps:

  1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
  2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. …
  3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
  4. Never crush a tick with your fingers.

Although it’s difficult to avoid a tick when outside, promptly removing them can help avoid diseases. Ticks are also known to carry the diseases Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, erlichiosis and babesiosis

To get the tick identified, free of charge, place it in a jar or Ziploc bag with a piece of cotton or tissue moistened with water and bring the tick to the Butte Count Mosquito and Vector Control District, located at 5117 Larkin Road in Oroville.

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