DENVER — There are people in Colorado who actually want ticks.
Summer 2023 could be prime tick season particularly because of the recent rain. To track and better understand the pests, the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) wants people to mail in their ticks.
“Our medical entomologist has a little mini lab set up with a microscope and he goes in, he opens them all up and looks at them, he figures out what they are, and then logs both the species, as well as when it was found and where it was found,” Dr. Natalie Marzec with CDPHE said.
CDPHE has done this study in the past with veterinarians, but now they want to expand their research to humans. The goal is to research the types of ticks in Colorado (did you know there are 27?) and educate Coloradans about what they could be at risk of.
People who find a tick should go online to fill out CDPHE’s submission form, and then mail the tick.
The department said individuals ticks will not be tested for diseases.
Marzec said they plan on using information gathered to update their tick maps.
To mail your tick:
- Double bag your tick in zip-top bags.
- Clearly write your tick ID number on the bag. You will receive this number once you submit the form.
- Mail to:
CDPHE
Medical Entomology A3
4300 Cherry Creek Dr S
Denver, CO 80246
And to remove a tick from you or your pet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend these steps:
- Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
- Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by
- Putting it in alcohol,
- Placing it in a sealed bag/container,
- Wrapping it tightly in tape, or
- Flushing it down the toilet.
- Tell your doctor about your bite.
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