How is the tick population in Ohio responding to this years weather?
Temps are hot and the humidity in Northeast Ohio has been sticking around a lot lately as we are in a La Nina year, which tends to produce warmer than normal summers. Along with that comes a warning from the Centers for Disease Control about ticks  who happen to thrive in high humidity according to a study done by the United States Geological Survey. In a Facebook post, the CDC says that if a tick happens to attach itself to you: Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skins surface as possible, then to, pull upward with steady pressure.  The CDC says you can create a tick-safe zone in your yard by doing these simple things:  Remove piles of leaf  Get rid of tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edge of lawns  Put a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to restrict tick migration into recreational areas. Cut the grass often  Stack wood neatly and in a dry area (discourages rodents). Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from yard edges and trees  Discourage unwelcome animals (such as deer, raccoons, and stray dogs) from entering your yard by putting up fences  Remove old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard that may give ticks a place to hide