Ticks have gotten a lot of attention over the last couple of decades. AccuWeather talks to an entomologist about why ticks are so dangerous and what everyone should know.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to AccuWeather's Ask the Experts, I'm your host Jeff Cornish.
00:15We go beyond the forecast to give you the how and why on all the cool and interesting
00:19things that you've wondered about and may have wanted to ask in weather, space and science.
00:25As we go through spring and summer, we start getting bugged by the insects as they begin
00:30to affect our quality of life in some spots and even our health and safety in some cases.
00:35So today we're going to explore all of that and get you some answers.
00:38And joining us as today's expert is Dr. Jim Fredericks, a board certified entomologist
00:44who has a couple of decades experience studying insects and pests.
00:48And he is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and the Chief Entomologist for the
00:53National Pest Management Association, a non-profit agency that helps people stay informed and
00:59safe about all kinds of pests.
01:01So Jim, thanks so much for joining us here today.
01:04It's my pleasure.
01:05Thanks for having me on.
01:06Well, I always like talking to the bug people because you're very passionate.
01:09It's one of these careers, I think, that it's not one of those baseline careers where you
01:14just do it by default.
01:15If you're an entomologist, you're probably passionate about the topic.
01:19So you want to get right into it.
01:20This is one that you definitely got to love.
01:22That's good stuff.
01:24We want to talk about an insect that's gotten a lot of attention over the last couple of
01:28decades, especially in the Northeastern U.S.
01:31We're talking about ticks.
01:32So how many different types of ticks are there and what makes them so dangerous?
01:37Well, there are a ton of different ticks that can be found in the United States.
01:43The most common that you would encounter would be the American dog tick, the black-legged
01:48tick or the deer tick.
01:51There's also the Lone Star tick, the brown dog tick.
01:54There are just a number of different.
01:57The reason that they're dangerous for us, in addition to just the fact that they bite
02:02and drink blood, they're able to transmit pathogens that cause disease.
02:06So this is a real concern for people that are spending time outdoors.
02:10Can you talk a little bit about Lyme disease?
02:13So what is it and is it transmitted by a certain kind of tick?
02:17How long does the tick need to be on you to really successfully transmit it to you?
02:22Lyme disease is definitely one of the most, well, it is the most common tick-borne illness
02:29that people encounter.
02:32The pathogen that causes Lyme disease is transmitted by the deer tick or the black-legged tick
02:39to people.
02:42It usually takes about 24 hours or so from when that tick first bites to when that pathogen
02:50is transferred.
02:51And so it's really going to be key to do a tick check and find that tick and remove it
02:56in the first 24 hours to minimize the risk for disease transmission.
03:02Is there a specific tick season?
03:04I've seen them even on mild February days in the Northeast.
03:07Do they thrive in certain types of weather?
03:10Well, warm weather is going to be when ticks are going to be most prevalent.
03:15This is when people encounter them.
03:17After all, people are more likely to be outside in tick habitat during the warm weather.
03:23But you're right.
03:24As soon as those temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit, that's when ticks are going to
03:29be active.
03:30And so on those mild days in the middle of the winter, ticks are going to be hungry and
03:34they're going to be out looking for food and that food might be us.
03:38And so although warm weather will contribute to increased tick activity, they can be found
03:43in temperatures as low as 50 degrees.
03:46If you discover a tick on yourself or on your pet, what's the best way to remove it safely?
03:51Well, it's important to remember that finding a tick on you is not a medical emergency,
03:57right?
03:58So there's no need to panic.
04:00What you do need to do is to get a pair of tweezers, some fine tip tweezers, and grasp
04:06that tick as close to the skin, as close to your skin as possible.
04:12And then with a steady pressure, pull straight up from the skin and the tick will let go.
04:21There's lots of kind of homespun remedies on how to get a tick to come up, but the best
04:25way is just to grasp it, pull it, that tick will let go.
04:28Once that tick is removed, you want to wash that area with soap and water and then monitor
04:34for symptoms.
04:35If after a tick bite, you find yourself feeling sick or ill over the next couple of days or
04:40even weeks, talk to your physician about not only the symptoms, but also the fact that
04:45you were bitten by a tick.
04:47We live in the woods, spend a lot of time outside.
04:48We have these little things that are designed specifically to remove ticks and they're very
04:53effective, not quite tweezers in this case, but it's a little thing that you kind of drive
04:57into and twist a little bit, often releases them pretty well.
05:00So I know there are some options out there.
05:03That's right.
05:04What's the best way for people to protect themselves from ticks?
05:07Should you use something with an insect repellent?
05:10Yeah, so I would recommend that people, when people are spending time in tick habitat,
05:15so in the woods or in kind of overgrown areas, this is where ticks are going to be most active.
05:21That's where they're going to be looking for food.
05:24Make sure that you're wearing a repellent.
05:26So you want to look for a repellent that has an EPA registered active ingredient.
05:32That way you're going to know that it has been proven to actually work.
05:36You want to follow those label instructions carefully, 20% DEET works, but there's some
05:43other things you can do as well.
05:44If you're on a hike, stick to the center of the trail.
05:48The ticks are typically not going to be in the center.
05:50They're going to be in those weedy overgrown edge spaces.
05:53You also want to make sure you do a tick check as soon as you return home.
05:58So that means checking your entire body for ticks.
06:02It's a good idea to take a shower.
06:05By taking a shower, you actually can wash some ticks off that haven't actually embedded
06:10in your skin yet.
06:11But that also affords you the opportunity to take a close look for any ticks throughout
06:16your entire body and then remove them promptly.
06:19However from ticks, there are a lot of headlines these days about the Gyrospider, how millions
06:24of these hand-sized spiders may be moving up the East Coast.
06:29Is this true?
06:30Should we still be sleeping at night or living in total fear?
06:32Are these things venomous?
06:34What's the real scoop on these things?
06:36It is true.
06:38The Gyrospider is a spider and it is expanding its territory.
06:43It was first noted in Georgia in about 2014.
06:46It's been steadily expanding its range.
06:49This is a big spider and people might be concerned.
06:53But aside from the fact that it's big and it might look threatening, there really is
06:58no threat to people.
07:00Now keep in mind that all spiders are venomous.
07:03Every single spider is venomous, but very few are dangerous.
07:07The Black Widow spider, Brown Recluse spider, those are dangerous spiders because their
07:12venom can have a medical impact on people.
07:16Gyrospider, very unlikely to bite, and venom is not going to be something that people need
07:21to be concerned about.
07:22If you do have some element of arachnophobia, though, they will probably get the blood pumping
07:26just for psychological reasons, I suppose.
07:29We want to switch our focus now to an insect that has more capability to do harm, especially
07:34to our property, and that's termites.
07:36So your organization, NPMA, has an amazing website, pestworld.org, with a section on
07:42termite infestations.
07:44So can you break that down for us, and what should we be looking for?
07:48Well, there's some simple signs that you can look for to determine if you may or may not
07:54have a termite infestation.
07:57Termites are a serious issue.
07:58They cause more than $6 billion in damage across the United States each year, and they're
08:05feeding on the wood inside your structure.
08:09They're able to digest that wood with the help of microorganisms in their gut.
08:13So it's a good idea to take a look around the house to see if you see any signs.
08:18The most common sign is typically going to be seen in the spring, and that's swarmers,
08:23or winged termites.
08:26Sometimes these are confused with flying ants.
08:28They're about the same size.
08:31But if you take a close, upon close inspection, you'll find that termites have four wings
08:35that are the same size, whereas ants have two large wings and two small wings.
08:40These can sometimes emerge by the hundreds or thousands at a time.
08:44So anytime you see lots of flying insects in your house that seemingly came out of nowhere,
08:51it's good to call a pro to determine, are these termites or are they ants?
08:56There's a couple of other things to look for as well, mud tubes.
09:00Most of the termites in the United States are subterranean termites, meaning they live
09:05in the soil, and they come up into structures by way of these termite highways.
09:11They build these tubes made out of mud and soil and bits of chewed up wood, and they
09:19use that to protect themselves from the sunlight, from the air, and from their predators.
09:24And sometimes you'll see these mud tubes coming up foundation walls or trailing across wood.
09:30If you see something like that, it's a good time to call a pro.
09:33You might also find damaged wood.
09:36Now it can be difficult to determine by the untrained eye if damaged wood is caused by
09:42maybe water damage or maybe ant damage like carpenter ants, or if it's termite damage.
09:48But if you see mud and soil mixed in with this damaged wood, it very well might be caused
09:54by termites.
09:55Some other things like bubbling paint might not seem like termite damage, but sometimes
10:00they'll do so much damage to the wood behind the paint that the paint begins to bubble
10:06up.
10:07They'll skip the paint, eat the wood, and you can sometimes even just press your finger
10:12through a baseboard that's been eaten away by termites.
10:16In certain parts of the country, Southern California, South Florida, around the Gulf
10:21Coast, there is another sign, and that's frass.
10:26These are tiny little wood pellets that may be falling from damaged wood, and that's caused
10:33by dry wood termites.
10:34These are termites that don't actually need contact with the ground, but can cause extensive
10:39damage and often will require a whole house structural fumigation in order to get control.
10:45So that's five ways that you might be able to identify if there's termites in the house.
10:50Really good information as well, Dr. Fredericks, and we have much more to discuss in just a
10:54few more minutes.
10:56We'll be right back with more Ask the Experts after the break.
11:05Welcome back to AccuWeather's Ask the Experts.
11:06I'm your host, Jeff Kornish.
11:08We are back with Dr. Jim Fredericks, Vice President of Public Affairs at the National
11:13Pest Management Association.
11:15Today we're talking about all things bugs.
11:17So Dr. Fredericks, one of the less pleasant aspects of summer involves stinging insects.
11:23Wasps, hornets, bees all do come to mind.
11:26Can you talk about the difference between these insects?
11:29Yeah.
11:30So this is one of the most, you know, things that people are most concerned about, especially
11:35when they're spending time outside at barbecues or picnics.
11:38And so first of all, wasps and hornets are similar.
11:43Actually hornets are a kind of wasp, and these are different from bees in that wasps will
11:49feed on other insects and arthropods as their source of protein.
11:55Wasps typically have a relatively smooth exoskeleton.
11:58When we compare that to bees, bees are typically hairy and they're going to be feeding on pollen
12:04as their primary protein source.
12:07Both can sting, and so we need to be aware and take some precautions to make sure that
12:11we stay out of harm's way.
12:13Okay.
12:14Can you give us any tips on how to avoid getting stung?
12:18There are a couple things that you can do to avoid being stung.
12:22First of all, you know, avoid strong perfumes or colognes when you're out in areas where
12:27you know that stinging insects might be present.
12:30If you're at a backyard barbecue, make sure that you pour that can of soda or juice into
12:37a cup because the stinging insects will sometimes be attracted to those sweet drinks and go
12:44inside a can and it's really easy to get stung on the mouth.
12:47In a cup, at least, you can see what it is that you're drinking.
12:50Make sure that food is covered, trash cans are tightly sealed, and if a bee or a wasp
12:57is kind of buzzing around you or even lands on your body, stay calm.
13:01Panicking is only going to make matters worse and perhaps cause a defensive sting from these
13:08insects.
13:09Before the break, you talked about some structural damage from things like termites.
13:12Should we be worried about carpenter bees tunneling into our deck?
13:16How do traps work?
13:18Carpenter bees are definitely considered a wood-destroying insect and there are some
13:22traps that are available for carpenter bees, but one of the things that you can do to help
13:26to reduce the likelihood that carpenter bees will chew into the wood is simply keep that
13:32wood painted or stained and sealed.
13:35Usually that's enough to keep those carpenter bees from chewing their way into that wood.
13:40Okay, very good advice.
13:42We do talk a lot about spotted lanternflies, especially in recent years.
13:47What states can this insect be found in?
13:51This insect can be found in almost 17 different states all along the eastern United States.
13:58It's originally a native to Asia and has only been in the U.S. for about 10 years or so.
14:06It has a preferred food source of the tree of heaven, but it will feed on lots of different
14:12plants and trees here in the United States.
14:16If you see one, should we do anything about that and are they considered harmful?
14:23First of all, they are not considered harmful in that they don't, unlike say a bed bug,
14:28they don't bite.
14:29Unlike a bee wasp or hornet, they don't sting, but they can cause damage to plants, particularly
14:36a lot of different agricultural products as well as ornamental plants and shrubs.
14:43If you see spotted lanternflies, it's a good idea to go ahead and squash those things.
14:49If you see their egg masses on a tree, it's a good idea to scrape that off and kill them.
14:54There really is no good reason for spotted lanternflies to be here in the United States,
15:01and so the best advice is to kill them.
15:04There are some pest control companies that will provide some relief for spotted lanternflies,
15:08and so if you're having some trouble with a lot of these right around the house, you
15:12can reach out and try to get some relief there.
15:16One of the states that has had the spotted lanternfly, Pennsylvania, is where Sally lives,
15:21and Sally has a viewer question for us.
15:23Sally writes, stink bugs always tend to be a problem at my house.
15:26What's the best way to get rid of them once and for all?
15:31Stink bugs are another one of these invasive pests originally from Asia.
15:35Was first found in the United States in the 1990s.
15:40What stink bugs will do is they'll enter into cracks and crevices and try to get behind
15:46siding and inside houses to overwinter, just to find a safe, warm place for the winter.
15:53My best advice is to try to seal up as many of these cracks and crevices where these bugs
15:58might be creeping in in the autumn.
16:01It's best to do it in the late summer, early autumn, so that you can seal them out before
16:06they find their way in, but pay close attention around the gaps around doors or windows or
16:11attic vents, any place where a bug might be able to squeeze its way in.
16:16We talk a lot about cicadas, especially as we get into the spring and summer, and the
16:21cicada emergence in the spring of 2024 was a big spot in certain areas with two broods
16:26that emerged at the same time, which is pretty rare, we understand.
16:30Is that correct?
16:32Yeah, so what's especially notable about this emergence in 2024 is that we had two broods
16:41emerge in the same year, but they emerged in adjacent geographic areas.
16:48In the places where there was a slight overlap between these two broods, we had double the
16:53cicadas.
16:54And so that's what a lot of the excitement was about, is that these were in adjacent
16:58geographic areas.
17:00They do emerge, two broods, but typically they're going to be separated geographically.
17:05Pretty fascinating stuff.
17:06Well, believe it or not, time has flown by and we're out of time with our expert, Dr.
17:11Jim Fredericks.
17:12Dr. Fredericks, thanks again so much for being with us.
17:14We appreciate your insight.
17:17Well, it's been good stuff.
17:18I enjoy talking to you, and hopefully we'll do it again sometime soon.
17:21Remember to check out the website of the National Pest Management Association, PestWorld.org,
17:27and for more great information on the bugs, you can learn a lot more there, and so much
17:31more.
17:32And don't forget, when you have a question about weather, space, or science, you can
17:34always write to us here at AccuWeather.
17:36Send us a question at AskTheExperts at AccuWeather.com.
17:40You can also call us at 888-566-6606.
17:45Still to come, here we have bees as the focus of our latest edition of WeatherWise.
17:50Here why you may get a different type of honey every time you use it.
18:05Welcome back to AccuWeather's Ask the Experts.
18:07It is now time for WeatherWise in a segment we call Weather by the Numbers, and today
18:12we look at bees by the numbers.
18:14So we start with the honeybee, which is the only insect that produces food eaten by humans.
18:19Our first number is 300.
18:22There are more than 300 unique types of honey created by bees in the United States.
18:27So different flowers make different honey, and the color, flavor, and aroma of each honey
18:32type depends on the nectar source, meaning honey made by bees collecting pollen from
18:36orange blossoms will taste different than pollen from wildflowers.
18:42Our second number set is 2-3.
18:45So 2-3 is the number of years a queen bee can live.
18:49During that time, she can lay 2,000 eggs a day, and she is mother to all the bees in
18:54the hive, and she is attended to by worker bees.
18:57These worker bees only live about 5 weeks during the active season.
19:01Finally, our last number is 500,000.
19:05That's the number that shows the downside of bees, as half a million people, 500,000
19:11are stung by bees each year in the U.S., and of that number, about 3% of adults and less
19:16than 1% of children suffer bee sting allergies.
19:20Bees are amazing creatures, they are the world's top pollinators, and we rely on their hard
19:25work for our survival, and they make things a little sweeter.
19:28But sometimes they do sting us, and we don't like that.
19:31So thanks so much for joining us here on AccuWeather's Ask the Experts.
19:34I'm Jeff Cornish.
19:35Don't forget, when you have a question about weather, space, or science, you can write
19:38us or send us a video question at AsktheExperts at AccuWeather.com.
19:42You can also call us at 888-566-6606.
19:47Have a great one.