[sierranevada1]

How is the current situation with Lyme and other tick-bourne diseases in the UP? Especially in its Western half.
And does one really have to guard against ticks in summer like long pants outdoors, tucking them into stocks/applying permethrin?

[scorpio516]

Current? Non existent. There is still snow on the ground.

This summer? Maybe some. Michigan as a whole isn't a big tick area. Wisconsin and Minnesota are though, so western UP will be the first places it shows up.

I never saw a tick until I visited Virginia in 2010.

[MikeBear]

I live in mid-Michigan in a very rural state-land wooded area, and I have NEVER seen a tick in 60 years. Not to say they might not be around, and I check after walking in the woods, but nothing so far.

[sierranevada1]

Originally Posted by scorpio516

Current? Non existent. There is still snow on the ground.
This summer? Maybe some. Michigan as a whole isn't a big tick area. Wisconsin and Minnesota are though, so western UP will be the first places it shows up.
I never saw a tick until I visited Virginia in 2010.

By "current" I meant recent years... I've seen this CDC Lyme disease map which shows a cluster around Iron River part of the UP - so I wondered how it is in real life, does one have to take a lot of measures against ticks when being outdoors or even in own backyard. I plan to camp in the UP this summer.
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/datasurveil...ps-recent.html
I heard about ticks in Minnesota before and that map also shows much Lyme in WI. Good to know you haven't seen ticks.

Originally Posted by MikeBear

I live in mid-Michigan in a very rural state-land wooded area, and I have NEVER seen a tick in 60 years. Not to say they might not be around, and I check after walking in the woods, but nothing so far.

I see - the map shows mid-Michigan as clear, but some in the Western UP.
I wonder why most ticks are in MN and WI, since climates are similar...

So seems like Lyme and even ticks in general aren't a big concern in the UP.

[Coldjensens]

Never encountered ticks in the UP, but they are there. Black flies are the big blood sucking/flesh eating pest we had to deal with in the UP.

We went canoe camping on the Ausable river a few years ago and found our clothing and tent covered in wood ticks. Wood ticks do not transfer Lymes disease (Deer ticks do) and none of them bit us, everyone had at least ten on them and our tent probably had 50 or more.

It really freaked us out until we got home and looked them up and learned they were not deer ticks and do not transfer Lymes. Still it is a bit disconcerting the be covered in bugs that want to burrow into you and drink your blood.

[sierranevada1]

Yeah I hate ticks! But at least these wood ticks don't carry Lyme...still very unpleasant surprise, hope they didn't get inside the tent.

[MikeBear]

Be far more scared of black flies. God help you if you are there during that season. They are insidious, relentless, and the only chance you have against them is to DEET up with the strongest version you can find as much as possible, and cover every inch of your body with tightly closed clothes.

[sierranevada1]

Originally Posted by MikeBear

Be far more scared of black flies. God help you if you are there during that season. They are insidious, relentless, and the only chance you have against them is to DEET up with the strongest version you can find as much as possible, and cover every inch of your body with tightly closed clothes.

One reason for me coming to camp in the UP is to see if I'd like to move there...it's one of the 2 locations I'm considering, but both have no lack of black flies Lyme from ticks is more of a concern to me as I have health issues and getting Lyme would be pretty bad. Also, there're other tick bourne diseases like Anaplasmosis, which seem to be not an issue in the UP but in other places many ticks carry them.
All tick-bourne diseases map:
https://www.cdc.gov/media/dpk/diseas...iseases-lg.jpg

As to black flies: my understanding their population heavily depends on the year and on the particular spot too...there's probably more of them in some parts of the UP than in others, so may be I can seek places with less of them.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by MikeBear

Be far more scared of black flies. God help you if you are there during that season. They are insidious, relentless, and the only chance you have against them is to DEET up with the strongest version you can find as much as possible, and cover every inch of your body with tightly closed clothes.

Pretty sure DEET does nothing to protect you from Black Flies. It also does nothing to prevent ticks. Covering every bit of flesh with sealed article of clothing is the only hope against blackflies. Peremithian or whatever it is works well against ticks. But you put it on your clothing, not your skin. It is also toxic to humans. Ticks like places where your skin is stretched taut. You underwear, waistband and your socks are favorites. Of course they like your head too.

Yes. Black flies seem to concentrate in particular locations. About two years ago, we went to one campground - on a lake, in the woods and we were absolutely swarmed with blackflies. We moved to another campground on a lake in the woods a few miles away, and there were none.

[sierranevada1]

Are there more Black Flies near water usually?