Lone star ticks, southern pests whose bites can cause a severe meat allergy called alpha-gal syndrome, are listed in a new CDC report as an ‘established population’ in Dane County.
With the latest increase in global temperatures, tick diseases have been on the rise, even in nontraditional hotspots like Madison. Recently, the lone star tick, found primarily in the southeastern U.S., has seen increased populations northward. Dane County is now considered a county with an established population of lone star ticks, and the ticks are likely present in all other southern Wisconsin counties, according to the latest CDC tick population report.
The lone star tick is a very aggressive biting tick, needing two years to complete its life cycle. Once hatched from an egg, lone star larvae find their first host to blood feed, leaving their host after a few days to become nymphs. Then, as nymphs, they find another host to feed on. When lone star nymphs become adults, they find their third and last blood host and either lay eggs, repeating the life cycle, or die…