JACKSON, Wyo. — As tick season is ramping up, those in Teton County should be aware of the presence of ticks in the area and the need for more citizen science to assist with collecting more data for Teton County Weed and Pest (TCWP).
Mikenna Smith, TCWP entomologist who has been pioneering Wyoming’s first tick surveillance program, tells Buckrail that two years of data in Teton County is not enough to adequately understand tick presence and pathogen spreading in the area yet. However, Smith does confirm that there are “a lot of ticks of medical significance here,” including the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick that can transmit a number of diseases and cause tick paralysis.
According to Smith, the areas in Teton County with the heaviest densities of ticks include Game Creek (which Smith says is probably the number one tick spot), Henry’s Road, Adam’s Canyon, Cache Creek and the whole trail network system in the sage brush areas, Nelson’s trailhead and Crystal Butte just east of town and East Gros Ventre Butte (where many people shed hunt).
Smith also highlights High School Butte as a popular tick spot, and it’s the only place in Teton County where TCWP has confirmed that Colorado Tick Fever virus has been found.
But Smith stresses that being aware of tick presence in Teton County is no reason to panic.
“We don’t want behavior change to look like never leaving your house,” Smith tells Buckrail. “I think people should never stop recreating and doing the things that make them happy, because we live in an area where we get to play in such a cool spot. What I hope people take from these reports and our information is simply just be aware and know what to do when you get one on you.”
Read more about TCWP’s tips for Tick Bite Prevention Week here. And as locals and visitors continue to recreate in tick country, TCWP encourages everyone to consider helping collect tick data through citizen science. Smith will be hosting a “Tick Blitz” on May 16 and 17, where everyone is welcome to participate in tick collections that will follow a standardized survey Smith developed specifically for Wyoming tick habitats.
In-person (in Teton County) and online trainings for said standardized methods will be conducted in the weeks prior to the Blitz. Those interested can email msmith@tcweed.org or sign up to be a citizen science volunteer through the TCWP website at the bottom of the Vector-Borne Diseases page.
Citizen scientist opportunities are also available year-round through TCWP’s passive surveillance program. Ticks found in any part of Wyoming can be sent to TCWP, addressed to Smith, to help collect information on tick species, diversity, abundance, distribution, tick-borne pathogen presence and prevalence and more. Last year, Smith confirms that 442 ticks were sent in from around the state; find instructions for sending in ticks here.
