Heavy Rains To Set Off 'Tick Time Bomb' In California

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The "bomb cyclone" that brought heavy amounts of rain, wind, and snow to Northern California is much needed as the state grapples with the worst droughts in its history.

However, as the storms pass, potential problems are causing concerns.

According to SFGate, nature lovers are sharing their concerns about the ticks that rain supposedly brings out.

But does rain really bring out more ticks than usual?

The Weather Channel announced back in July that the U.S., and especially California, would be a "tick time-bomb" in 2021.

Ticks thrive in humidity, so the wet weather usually boosts populations and increases the number of places they can live in, according to Pests.org.

"The adult western black-legged ticks emerge after the first rains of the fall in California,” scientist Daniel Salkeld, who has been studying ticks for 15 years, wrote in an email to SFGate. “And — amusingly enough — that's normally around Halloween. Blood-sucking ghouls and all!”

The year's dry conditions mean many Californians who like to explore outdoors likely haven't seen any ticks.

“But for someone hiking, yes, ticks will have gone from practically zero a couple of weeks ago to being out,” Salkeld continued. “And their numbers will probably be increasing through January."

To protect yourself from ticks, experts suggest spraying a substance called permethrin on your clothes and letting them dry for a day. The ticks will die when they come in contact with the sprayed clothing.


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