It's peak tick season in Arizona. Here's where you're most likely to find them

Summer is peak tick season in Arizona.

And while many people believe that Lyme disease isn't a danger in Arizona due to the dry climate, this is a misconception.

Lyme disease is more prevalent in the eastern United States, but ticks carrying the pathogen can spread easily, hitching a ride on pets, livestock, wildlife and even on clothing or gear after traveling from areas with higher tick populations.

Plus, Lyme disease isn't the only disease that can be spread by ticks in Arizona. Tick bites can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tick-borne relapsing fever.

Here's everything you need to know about ticks in Arizona.

When is tick season in Arizona?

Tick season in Arizona typically spans from early spring through late fall.

The exact timing can vary depending on the region and weather conditions, but ticks generally are most active from March to October. Peak activity occurs from April through June and again in September and October.

Are ticks a problem in Arizona?

We talked to Debra Hansen, associate research professor for the Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery at Arizona State University. She said ticks are commonly associated with wooded areas, mountains and higher elevations where vegetation and wildlife are abundant.

Ticks are more prevalent in northern Arizona in areas with brushy vegetation and where there are hosts such as small mammals, birds and deer. This includes forests, grasslands and riparian areas.

Are there ticks in the desert?

Ticks are less common in the desert compared to these other habitats, Hansen said. But they can be found in vegetated areas, especially in water-retaining habitats in the desert.

“It's mostly in the northern part of the state where you have vegetation. There's really not so much in the desert areas,” said Hansen.

Do Arizona ticks carry Lyme disease?

The risk of contracting Lyme disease in Arizona is low but it's not zero.

“What's fascinating about Lyme disease is a lot of the misinformation. Depending on the people or the practitioners that you're seeing, they will say, ‘Oh, Arizona is a dry climate, we don't have a lot of ticks. It's not very common,’" said Sarah Schlichte, patient care educator at Envita Medical Center in Scottsdale.

"The reality is, ticks travel on all sorts of birds and deer and rabbits and none of those animals know when they're crossing state lines. So there's certain areas that are more endemic, but the reality is it's everywhere.”

In Arizona, tick-borne diseases that are more commonly reported than Lyme disease include Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tick-borne relapsing fever.

In the wild: From poison ivy to morning glory, how to avoid Arizona's most poisonous plants

How do I stop ticks from biting me?

Take preventive measures when spending time in areas where ticks might be present. These include:

• Using insect repellent.

• Wearing long sleeves and pants.

• Checking yourself, your kids and your pets for ticks after outdoor activities.

• Promptly and properly removing any ticks found on the body.

If you develop any unusual symptoms after a tick bite, seek medical attention.

Where do ticks hide on the body?

Ticks feed on blood and may increase in size while attached to a body. Ticks prefer warm, damp and dark areas of the body, such as behind the knees or under the armpits, making their presence sometimes difficult to detect.

What does a tick bite look like?

The tick bite area may appear swollen, red and warm to the touch. Early symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue and muscle aches. If you suspect a tick bite, monitor the area and seek medical advice if you develop symptoms.

A Lyme disease tick bite may result in a distinctive rash called erythema migrans, which looks like a bull's eye with a red circular or oval patch that expands around the bite site. However, not everyone develops this rash, and it may be mistaken for other skin conditions.

“Often you don't even know it," Schlichte said. "Depending on your immune system, how it handles it, what that tick has been exposed to prior to biting you, you may not have that bull's eye response.

"It's actually less than 20% of people who are a bit by a tick who actually see that bull's eye rash.”

How soon after a tick bite do you need antibiotics?

The need for antibiotics after a tick bite hinges on several factors, including the duration of attachment.

Symptoms such as rash, fever, fatigue, muscle and joint aches or swollen lymph nodes warrant immediate medical attention. These signs could indicate Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses necessitating a longer course of antibiotics.

“If you have a bull's eye rash, you want to go in and get on antibiotics quickly, the sooner the better. So that it doesn't sink in and doesn't get into that central nervous system." Schlichte said.

How soon after a tick bite does Lyme disease occur?

The incubation period for Lyme disease typically ranges from three to 30 days after the tick bite, with an average onset time of about seven to 14 days.

“But the reality is, a lot of ticks carry not just Lyme disease, but what's called co-infections. So there's a variety of infections that are not just bacterial infections, but you could be exposed to parasitic infections and other things,” said Schlichte.

What are the early signs of Lyme disease?

The early signs of Lyme disease can vary widely.

“They call Lyme the great mimicker. It mimics over 300 different diseases. So it does truly present differently in patients at different times,” said Schlichte.

People can experience chronic neurological symptoms, including severe migraines, nausea, tremors, neuropathy, heart palpitations and fatigue. Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia or chronic pain syndrome due to its wide-ranging symptoms.

A common symptom is where muscles become extremely inflamed, leading to persistent stiffness and soreness, especially in the neck and shoulders, Schlichte said. This stiffness can be so severe that even lying down doesn't alleviate it. Lyme disease affects soft tissue and cartilage, often resulting in connective tissue disorders and herniated discs.

Schlichte also said Lyme bacteria can hide within the body, allowing the disease to remain dormant and then resurface during times of immune stress, such as illness or major life changes.

What are the odds of getting Lyme disease from a tick?

The odds of contracting Lyme disease from a tick bite depend on the type of tick, geographic location and the duration the tick has been attached.

If bitten by a tick in a high-risk area and the tick is attached for more than 36 hours, the chances of contracting Lyme disease range from approximately 1 in 5 to 1 in 3. If the tick is removed within 36 hours, the risk drops significantly.

Hansen said that even tiny tick larvae and nymphs pose a risk. Due to their size, perhaps as small as a poppy seed, they may go unnoticed when they bite.

“You don't feel a bite and you don't get itchy right after being bit, so it's not like a mosquito bite and you don't hear it like a mosquito. It's only if you look all over your body and see a tick on your skin. They would stay on your skin for maybe a couple of days before they fall off,” said Hansen.

Can't take the heat? Here are cheap flights to cool destinations from Phoenix this summer

Can Lyme go away on its own?

Lyme disease generally does not go away on its own and requires treatment with antibiotics.

If Lyme disease is untreated, it can spread throughout the body.

Is Lyme disease 100% curable?

The majority of people with Lyme disease recover with appropriate treatment. Those who receive antibiotics within three months of infection generally respond well. Uncertainty arises for those whose symptoms persist beyond this timeframe.

“It's that post three months that some don't respond to the treatment, and whether the person has the bacterial pathogen in their body or is suffering from some other type of downstream effects, that's where a lot of the controversy is,” said Hansen.

“That’s where we ask is it really Lyme disease or is it some sort of post-treatment Lyme disorder? Everyone's immune response varies. Some people have terrible symptoms. They can go from neurological issues or inflammation of the heart or virus in the joints.”

Schlichte said doctors at Envita advise patients that Lyme disease could be detectable in their body all their lives. The focus is on managing symptoms and reducing infection loads.

“A lot of it is symptomatic and it takes a long time to heal the nervous system,” said Schlichte.

Where is the most common place to get Lyme disease?

The northeastern, mid-Atlantic and north-central areas of the United States, as well as parts of the West Coast, are tick hot spots.

“The major areas are in the Northeast, the Upper Midwest and also California, and we're not far from any of these places," Hansen said. "Anyone who travels, or vacations in California, or goes hiking in the woods or on the coast can pick up Lyme disease."

What animal is most likely to get Lyme disease?

Many kinds of animals can get Lyme disease, including mice, chipmunks and squirrels.

“Any type of mammal in the wild, especially deer," Hansen said. "Any animals that are hunted. They have found (bacteria) in lizards and birds too. Some of it is the Lyme disease-causing bacteria but you can find it in a lot of different organisms,” said Hansen.

Dogs can become infected with Lyme disease. Watch for symptoms such as lameness, fever, lethargy and joint swelling.

Cats also can get Lyme disease, but they are less commonly affected than dogs. This may be because cats are fastidious groomers and may remove ticks from their fur before the ticks have a chance to transmit the bacterium.

How to get rid of ticks in Arizona

Here are ways to get rid of ticks and avoid tick bites:

• Tick Control Products: Use insecticides and tick-specific pesticides to treat outdoor areas where ticks may be present, such as yards, gardens and wooded areas.

• Environmental Management: Keep your lawn well-maintained by mowing regularly and removing leaf litter, tall grass and brush piles where ticks may hide. Trim vegetation along trails and the edges of your property to create a tick-free zone.

• Personal Protection: Wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants tucked into socks or boots to prevent ticks from reaching your skin. Use insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin or permethrin on exposed skin and clothing, following product instructions carefully.

• Tick Checks: Carefully check yourself, your family members and your pets after spending time outdoors, especially in grassy, wooded or brushy areas. Promptly remove any ticks you find using fine-tipped tweezers, grasping the tick close to the skin and pulling upward with steady pressure.

• Pet Protection: Use tick prevention products, such as spot treatments, tick collars or oral medications, as recommended by your veterinarian. Check pets for ticks regularly.

Got a story you want to share? Reach out at [email protected]. Follow @tiffsario on Instagram.

Support local journalism and subscribe to azcentral.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tick season 2024 and Lyme disease: How to protect yourself