Ticks are sucking insects that can live all year round in our mild climate. If you’re planning to do some hiking around the holidays, learn how to protect yourself from having one hitch a ride on you. If you do get bitten, here’s how to properly remove the tick.
These insects are not only a nuisance, they transmit disease. In the past five years Marin County has had very few confirmed cases of Lyme disease (1.3 cases per 100,000 person-years), which makes it a low-incidence Lyme disease area. Nationwide 95% of confirmed Lyme disease cases are reported from the 14 states that are considered high-incidence Lyme disease areas (i.e., Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia). The western black legged tick and other human biting ticks found in Marin County such as the Pacific Coast tick may carry other tick-borne diseases.
Learn more about Lyme Disease in California.