You’re not imagining things. Researchers have confirmed that ticks are now showing up in more places across Michigan, meaning a walk through the woods isn’t the only time you need to keep an eye out for them.

Experts say multiple factors are bringing the tiny parasites into backyards, parks, and communities where they were once uncommon.

Read on for the full details.

Ann Arbor to vote on city-owned electrical utility (WXYZ): Ann Arbor voters will decide in November whether to create a governing board to explore replacing DTE with a city-owned electric utility. While the group spearheading the effort say its a response to rising costs and frequent outages, Ann Arbor Councilwoman Erica Briggs says ditching DTE could lead the city to bankruptcy.

Harris endorses El-Sayed (The Hill): Former Vice President Kamala Harris has endorsed Abdul El-Sayed for US Senate, adding to a growing list of prominent Democrats backing Michigan’s Democratic nominee. El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers in November.

New deal will protect Torch Lake shoreline (Freep): In northern Michigan, a 120-year-old YMCA camp on Torch Lake will remain undeveloped after securing a $16 million conservation easement protecting 354 acres and more than 6,000 feet of shoreline. The agreement preserves one of the lake’s largest remaining undeveloped properties while allowing the camp to remain privately owned and continue operating.

A deer tick on a leaf. (Erik Karits/Unsplash)

By Julia Roeder, Capital News Service

A walk through the woods is no longer the only place Midwesterners should watch for ticks. 

Researchers say the tiny parasites are spreading to communities across the region and show no signs of slowing down.   

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emergency room visits attributed to ticks are at the highest levels in nearly 10 years. The Midwest is the region with the second-most likely emergency room visits due to  tick bites. 

In 2023, state health departments reported more than 89,000 cases of Lyme disease in humans to the CDC, the most recent year numbers have been published.  

Experts like Edward Walker, a Michigan State University entomologist who has tracked changes in tick populations across Michigan and the Great Lakes region, warn the increase may not go away anytime soon.

“This is a long-term process of expansion in the range of ticks,” Walker said. “It’s not just that there is more this year than last year. It’s a much bigger, longer-term thing.” 

In places where ticks were once rare, expansion of the species continues. 

Want deeper coverage of Michigan politics? Our free Thursday newsletter, This Week in Michigan Politics, breaks down what’s happening in Lansing and Washington—clearly and without the jargon.

With the midterms approaching, we’ll keep you informed on what could affect your day-to-day life.

Interested?

I think most people have found a tick and thought, “Now how the heck did you get there?”

Living near the woods, this happens way more often than I’d like. And while I should be used to it at this point, finding a tick never fails to make my skin crawl.

This week, so that we can all bond through our hatred of ticks, I want to know:

Reminder: When responding, include your first name and where you’re from to have your answer included.

Have a question you want me to ask our community? Send it my way. I might feature it in a future edition.

Missed the answers to last week’s question: “What are the biggest issues facing Michiganders that candidates should address?” Find them in our Friday newsletter here.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with a feature story from Capital News Service. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

The ’Gander is free for everyone. Your support makes our work possible.