He said the project will create a model to forecast potential problems from ticks. The more researchers know about the agents of disease, the more preventative measures can be developed, he said. Rowley said it is hard to predict the size of this year's tick population. The tick season runs from late March until July and then again from September through October. The population will increase with warmer temperatures.
Ticks congregate around wooded areas and animal trails.
People should wear light-colored clothing to make the ticks easier to recognize. Pant legs should be stuffed into socks to keep the ticks from crawling up bare legs. Mosquito repellent with 20-30 percent DEET keeps ticks away also. The best way to get ticks off the skin is to use tweezers and grab it close to the skin, Rowley said. After applying gentle pressure, the tick will relax its grip and come off.