LOCAL NEWS

Experts Believe Drought, Pandemic Could Be Cause For Increased Tick Sightings In Utah

Jun 1, 2021, 7:01 PM | Updated: 8:40 pm

SYRACUSE, Utah — It’s no surprise that more people have been spending time outside, enjoying the scenery in the wake of the pandemic, but in Utah, there are also more reports of people and their pets unwittingly taking ticks home with them. 

“Not necessarily the number of reports, but the number of ticks per report. They seem to be growing,” said Wendy Wilson, assistant park manager for Antelope Island State Park. 

Antelope Island State Park Assistant Manager Wendy Wilson (KSL TV)

Wilson said the number of ticks reported has been rising steadily over the past several years. 

“When I first came out here about ten years ago, I didn’t hear of one tick incident for the first five or six years that I was out,” Wilson said. “Now, I hear about it every year.”  

Dr. Scott Bernhardt, director of Undergraduate Public Health at Utah State University, said a similar increase in those reports has been coming in from different areas of the state. 

“We can see that there are a lot more individuals that are identifying or finding ticks,” Bernhardt said. “And is that more of an issue of we have more ticks in this early part of the season from years past to present day, or is it just a matter of us finding them or looking for them?” 

Bernhardt said a mild winter could have contributed to the increase, as well as current drought conditions, since the ticks now have fewer rodents to snack on. 

“But then over time, drought conditions are really, really actually devastating to tick populations, and you’ll see then a major decline over time,” Bernhardt added. 

Dr. Scott Bernhardt, director of Undergraduate Public Health at Utah State University (KSL TV)

It’s hard to know for sure what’s happening, he said, without actually getting out to count and study Utah’s tick populations.

Bernhardt said researchers at Utah State University will be doing that this year, with the help of the Utah Department of Health.

There is, however, a bit of good news when it comes to Utah ticks — they’re less likely to spread disease. 

“The one disease that we’re most worried about is Lyme disease, and when we completed our study several years ago, we did find those ticks, but it was a real rare type situation,” said Bernhardt. 

Wilson said to protect themselves, visitors to Antelope Island State Park should use insect repellant and check themselves and their pets before heading home.

She added that people were less likely to pick up the bloodsuckers if they stayed on the trails and avoided going into vegetated areas. 

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

Local News

Skier Katie Hitchcock revels in another deep powder day at Alta Ski Area on March 15. The snowfall ...
KSL.com

Alta Ski Area officially marks snowiest season on record

Alta Ski Area has officially broken its record for the snowiest season recorded with a whopping 749 inches of snowfall this winter.
15 hours ago
FILE...
Cary Schwanitz

Body found under overpass at 600 North

A body was found under the overpass at 600 North Saturday morning impacting traffic.
15 hours ago
Rigby Ranch in Newton, Utah, buried in snow on March 24, 2023. The constant string of storms is mak...
Alex Cabrero

Prolonged winter delays Utah farmers’ planting season

Utah farmers are grateful for all the snow this winter and the water that will come from it, but it's also causing some challenges.
2 days ago
A Torus flywheel. (KSL TV)...
Peter Rosen

Utah man creates company devoted to flywheel energy storage

What weighs as much as a Toyota Corolla, spins at thousands of rotations per minute, and, a Utah entrepreneur hopes, might one day live in your backyard and store power to run your home? It’s called flywheel energy storage.
2 days ago
(KSL TV)...
Matt Rascon

Homeless get help, hope from SLC event that includes makeshift courtroom

Hundreds of homeless people gathered at the Salt Palace Friday to connect with services — including a makeshift courtroom — that could help get them off the streets.
2 days ago
FILE: for sale sign...
Ladd Egan

Utah home prices fall after nearly 11 years of increases

The Utah Association of Realtors reports that after 129 months of price increases, January marked the first, year-over-year decline in statewide home prices. And in February, prices dropped again.
2 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
house with for rent sign posted...
Chase Harrington, president and COO of Entrata

Top 5 Reasons You May Want to Consider Apartment Life Over Owning a Home

There are many benefits of renting that can be overshadowed by the allure of buying a home. Here are five reasons why renting might be right for you.
Experts Believe Drought, Pandemic Could Be Cause For Increased Tick Sightings In Utah