What can ticks carry?
Spring showers and warmer temperatures may bring flowers, but they also bring out ticks. North Dakota Health and Human Services encourage individuals to be aware of ticks, and the diseases they carry, such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, alpha-gal syndrome and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and to take precautions. Last year there was 37 cases of Lyme disease reported in North Dakota, which is double the number reported in both 2024 and 2023. Ticks that carry this disease are found in all parts of the state. Ticks live in grassy, bushy or wooded areas and are active when temperatures are above freezing.
To prevent tick bites, you should:
- Avoid wooded, brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter; instead walk in the center of the path
- Use an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent.
- Check your body and clothing for ticks after coming inside. When doing these body checks make sure to check in and around your hair, ears, under arms, inside the belly button, around the waist, on legs and the back of the knees.
- Check your pets for ticks daily and take them to a veterinarian to get tick prevention products.
If you find a tick on your body and it is biting you, you should:
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick and remove it.
- Afterwards, thoroughly clean the bite area.
- Dispose of the tick by putting it in alcohol and then placing it in a sealed bag or container, wrap it tightly in tape, or flush it down the toilet.
- Contact a healthcare provider if a rash, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain or joint swelling and pain appear within 30 days after a tick bite.
Ticks on other animals
In 2025, North Dakota Tick Surveillance through HHS recorded 616 American dog ticks and one deer tick between the months of April and July. This data is collected through partnerships with North Dakota Game and Fish, Wildlife Services and veterinarians across the state. Ticks are then submitted for identification and testing.
Information in this post is contributed and obtained from North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services.
