Almost overnight, we went from the drab, brown tones of winter to lush, green vegetation across much of the area and the plants aren’t the only living things that are thriving. According to Kansas State University entomology professor, Raymond Cloyd, his office has fielded calls and emails about ticks earlier than usual this spring. He says cool, rainy weather in parts of Kansas and other states, followed by a quick increase of plant growth may have boosted the tick population. Because some ticks carry pathogens such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme disease, Barton County Health Director Shelly Schneider says it’s a good idea to have them identified if they were embedded in the skin.

Shelly Schneider Audio

With ticks getting all the publicity so far this spring, Schneider says we can’t forget about the dangers associated with mosquitos who will soon be out in full force as well.

Shelly Schneider Audio

West Nile virus is the most common mosquito borne disease in Kansas and the United States. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced last fall that West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes were present in all four counties where mosquito surveillance was performed. Those counties included Johnson, Shawnee, Sedgwick and Reno.

Mosquito surveillance ended in October of last year and will resume this month.