Reminder: Marshfield Clinic Research Institute Still Looking for Ticks

Tuesday, June 25th, 2024 -- 8:04 AM

(Bob Hague, Wisconsin Radio Network) Researchers would like to have your ticks. Scientists at Marshfield Clinic Research Institute are using Tick Inventory via Citizen Science, or TICS.

Executive Director Jennifer Meece said thus far, there’s been great community engagement, great buy-in, great stories accompanying thousands of ticks have been mailed in. Some of those are disease carriers rarely seen in Wisconsin, including brown dog ticks which spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever and lone star ticks that spread ehrlichiosis, primarily in warmer U.S settings.

Meece said that climate change is helping to create environments where previous species that could not exist or survivor winters may be able to do so. For more information, or to request a pre-paid collection kit be sent to you, contact [email protected].

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.