–Dr. Jeff Whitworth and Dr. Holly Schwarting
Ticks are very active throughout the state, and have been for the past month. The most commonly reported species has been the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis.
The cool, humid weather over the past month has provided great conditions for tick development. These annoying, and potentially dangerous parasites have even been encountered in corn fields, which is unusual as they typically develop in more undisturbed areas of grasses, weeds, and other overgrown vegetation. But, they are very good at finding hosts and getting the blood meal they require for development and reproduction. For more information on ticks in Kansas, please visit: https://www.vet.k-state.edu/vhc/docs/ticks-in-kansas.pdf