Outdoor Fun Comes With A Tick Alert This Spring

Last night I found my first tick of the season crawling across my leg. With the dry weather we have had I was a little surprised that ticks are already so active, but what will this year be like for ticks? Are we expecting another bad season, or will we get a break from the blood suckers? Here's what we know about the 2025 tick season in Minnesota.

What you need to know about ticks in Minnesota

Living in Minnesota and enjoying the outdoors, you'll have to learn to live with ticks. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, "there are about a dozen different types of ticks. Not all of them spread disease." Even though there are about a dozen types of ticks here in Minnesota, we normally only associate ticks with 3. The deer tick, the wood tick, and the lone star tick.

Right now, we are hitting the peak Spring tick activity according to the Minnesota Department of Health website, as ticks are most active in leading up to and into May, and then again in the fall before the snow falls.

How do I protect myself from ticks?

Ticks are just a part of the landscape here in Minnesota, but having to live with ticks doesn't mean you have to suffer. Here are some tips to keep the ticks away:

• Stay out of areas that are tick habitats. Think tall grasses with a source of water nearby. Ticks like wet/humid areas.
• Apply a tick repellent when you go outside. Anything with DEET in it, or if you aren't a DEET person, you can apply permethrin to your clothing.
• Check for ticks, just like the Brad Paisley song, be a good partner and be sure to give your partner a once over if you go out in a group. Picking a tick off before it attaches to you or a pet is much better than to risk getting a tick-borne illness, like Lyme Disease.

What is the tick forecast for Minnesota this year?

The good news, if you call it that, is this year's tick forecast is looking to be average. The Meotropolitan Mosquito Control District gives updates throughout the year on what they are seeing, and already back in March, the district was saying "Expect this year's tick season to feel more like 'normal', which means they will be abundant in long grasses and wooded habitats in May and June especially."

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There you have it, a 'normal' year for ticks, be safe while you are enjoying the outdoors this year, and unlike with fishing, this is one bite you don't want to catch.