The Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is asking the public to submit ticks. This includes any new, invasive ticks moving into the state. Since then, people have been scooping up ticks and sending them to the institute in pre-paid collection kits. So far, scientists have identified more than 5,000 ticks submitted by citizens. Most of these have been the American dog (wood) tick and the deer (black-legged) tick.

Researchers also identified nine brown dog ticks, which are most frequently found in the southern U.S. They also identified five lone star ticks, mainly found in the southern and eastern U.S. The lone star ticks can give you an allergy to meat!

“The presence of brown dog and lone star ticks is intriguing as it may indicate spread from their typical habitats to Wisconsin,” says Alexandra Linz, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute associate research scientist. “We are trying to determine the extent and significance of this spread and the potential health effects.”

For more information, or to request a pre-paid collection kit be sent to you, contact tics@marshfieldclinic.org or 1-715-389-7796 (extension 16462).