Isle Royale Forums

I searched the forums for any info on this subject but didn't find anything. Does anyone know if there are ticks on the island? I've never had any on me and I don't recall anyone mentioning them in any threads I have read.

The reason I ask is that there seems to be a record number of them this year, at least here in S.E. Michigan where I live. When I had my dog at the vet a few weeks ago he mentioned that their populations seem to be exceptionally high this year and to check my dog well if he has been out playing in the grass. About a week later my son found one on his leg and the only place we can figure that he picked it up was when he was sitting on the grass at school doing homework with some friends. And, just last week, one of my co-workers found the typical "bulls-eye" target marking on his daughter's arm (actually, both daughters had it). When he had them tested at the doctor he was told that they both had the early stages of Lyme disease from a tick bite. Their doctor also said they have been seeing an increase in the number of tick bites and Lyme disease cases this year.

Actually, I realize that there are ticks because the moose seem to get that mangy look after rubbing their fur off from all the ticks. So, I guess what I'm really asking is, are there Lyme disease-carrying ticks on the island?

My son and I will be on the island in late August and I was just curious.

Isle Royale is disease-bourne tick-free. Just moose ticks, and they don't much care for people. So feel free to roll around in the grass and tromp through the woods all you'd like.

Ya know, that's kinda what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure. Thanks for the info.
By the way, Fonix, I like your new silhouette profile image.

i just got biopsied from the dermatologist, she suspects lyme disease. i was on the island from july 24 to about august 2. i won't know if it really is lyme for a week or so.

and i live in az, we don't have it here at all.

aaron, Did you camp or hike in Minn. or Mich. before going to Isle Royale?

jerry wrote:aaron, Did you camp or hike in Minn. or Mich. before going to Isle Royale?

I was thinking the same thing, Jerry... Heck, stop out of your car in Minnesota in an area that's not paved, and you could pick up a deer tick. Fortunately, not all deer ticks are carrying Lyme disease, but still. Occam's razor leads me to believe that a source other than Isle Royale produced the tick.

Either way, Upsidedownaaron, I hope everything turns out alright. Fortunately it sounds like it was caught early.

I figure that I will post on this just to bump awareness of Isle Royal being tick free.....and we would like to keep it that way My reasoning is that the ticks in my area seem to be the thickest In years. We went for a 5 mile bushwack training hike this past weekend and between myself my son and daughter we had over 200 ticks on us. When we come home our packs stay on the floor of our mud room. Long story short our packs have been crawling all week with those little nasties.So this is my little public service request that we all do our part to keep invasive species off the island.Please check gear and treat what you can if that is what you are into.Lets all do our part to keep Isle Royal tick free and pristene Any way enough rambling .....hope to see ya there!

Permethren is great! Haven't had a problem with them since I started treating my hiking clothing. I imagine if you were bushwacking you might want to treat your pack too.

On my way in August and this thread is old and things change so I'm wondering if it's still true that ticks are not on the island?

fonximunkee's reply is still true: There are winter ticks, which only host on moose. No human danger.