The bad news is, it’s possible to find ticks in Wyoming anytime, and an entomologist bagged 53 in a matter of minutes Sunday in rural Laramie County.
The good news is, the species that carries the most dreaded tick-borne illness, Lyme disease, hasn’t been found in Wyoming yet.
However, it’s going to take more field work to get a clear picture of how common ticks are in Wyoming and what species might be encroaching from other states, Hunter Deerman, an entomologist with the city of Laramie, told Cowboy State Daily.
“Historically, Wyoming has had little to no surveillance of ticks,” he said. “There’s been a huge hole of data when it comes to ticks in Wyoming.”
Deerman wasn’t working, but just out for a pleasure hike with his dog near the Albany-Laramie county line when he noticed some ticks and started collecting them. He caught 53 in less than 40 minutes.
“I finally stopped picking them up. There were more, but I was getting tired of picking them up,” he said.
You Don’t Want Colorado Tick Fever
Wyoming is home to the Rocky Mountain wood tick. Colorado tick fever is the disease commonly carried by those nasty little bugs.
It can cause such unpleasantries as a sore throat, rash, abdominal pain, vomiting and other flu-like symptoms, Deerman said.
Most infected people recovery fully, “but you still really don’t want to get Colorado tick fever,” he said.
There have been occasional cases of Lyme disease in Wyoming, but those people were infected by tick bites while traveling to other states and didn’t fall ill until they came home, Deerman said.
Lyme disease can cause severe, and sometimes even permanently debilitating, illness.
“Tick-borne disease risks in Wyoming aren’t super-high, like they are in the South or the Southeast (United States), but people here still need to aware of them,” he said.
Hunter Deerman, an entomologist with the City of Laramie,” examines ticks he recently caught in Laramie County. (Courtesy Hunter Deerman) 
County like this, with rocks to retain heat and brush and grass, is a good place to find ticks in Wyoming. (Courtesy Hunter Deerman) 
The Rocky Mountain wood tick is the most common species of tick in Wyoming. (Courtesy Hunter Deerman)
‘Microclimates’
The bulk of Deerman’s work with the city of Laramie centers on mosquito control. But having come from the South, he’s well-versed in ticks and tick-borne disease risks.
Either species of bloodsucker can be out in Wyoming just about any time of year, he said.
“If it’s a warm day in February, you might see mosquitos flying or find ticks in Wyoming,” he said.
Tick season generally begins sometime in March and peaks in May.
Deerman said the ticks he found Sunday were hanging out on grass tufts growing on west-facing rock outcroppings along trails.
Ticks like to hang out in such places because it gives them opportunities to hop onto a warm-blooded host passing by on the trail, Deerfield said.
The rocks likely retained heat from last week’s warm temperatures, creating “microclimates” that were ideal for the ticks to come out in force.
Plunging temperatures over the past couple of days probably sent them back into hiding, but they’ll be right back out once it warms up again, Deerfield said.
Keep An Eye Out
Coming from the South, “I got used to pulling ticks off myself every summer,” Deerfield said.
It’s not nearly so bad in Wyoming, but people still need to keep an eye out for ticks, he said. Basic cautionary measures, such as folks tucking their pantlegs into their socks, still work best.
“Try to wear light-colored clothes so you can spot the ticks and just brush them off,” Deerfield said.
And if a tick latches on to you, following the basics is the best, he added.
“Just get ahold of it with tweezers or your fingertips and pull it straight out,” Deefield said. “Pull as straight as possible.”
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
