TICK SEASON IS HERE: What you need to do about ticks in Mid-Michigan

• Tick season is upon us and many experts are helping to keep you and your pet safe from the insect.
• Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine Rachel Peterson says there are many ways to prevent disease from entering your pets system.
• Video shows experts speaking about disease prevention and safety regarding tick bites.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)

I'm your neighborhood reporter Russell Shellberg here in DeWitt, where tick season is upon us once again, and I'm here at the DeWitt Health Center to see how you can keep yourself and your furry friend safe.

The ticks are coming out, and they can latch on from head to toe.

"They can be anywhere on the pet, so anywhere like in the ears, under the ears, by the lips, in between the armpits, between the toes, so a good once-over is definitely a good place to start," said Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine Rachel Peterson at DeWitt Pet Health Center.

Peterson says those simple checks can help prevent ticks from spreading harm and disease.

She also adds that having extra lines of defense like a monthly flea and tick preventative can go a long way.

"Ticks generally need to be attached for 6 hours plus before they can actually transmit disease, so the goal there is if there was something that missed through our little screening, that they're going to get killed by that preventative or repel them so they never even bring them into our house at the starting point," said Peterson.

But pets aren't the only ones that can receive a bite. Humans are also commonly known to attract the insect. Medical entomologist Emily Dinh says if you find a tick, remove it and monitor your symptoms.

"Anytime after a tick bite, you monitor yourself for 30 days, for any symptoms that may resemble the summer flu, rash, fatigue, anything out of the ordinary like that," said Dinh.

Dinh suggests thorough checks on your body after being outside as some ticks can be as small as a poppy seed. And if you experience symptoms that worsen over time, you are asked to call your doctor.

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