It is officially tick season. Although active year-round — even in the winter — this is the time of year when most tick encounters happen.

There are now five types of ticks found in Ohio. The four established Ohio ticks are: the American dog tick, the blacklegged tick (also known as the deer tick), the Lone Star tick and the uncommon brown dog tick.

The American dog tick can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The blacklegged tick, small and usually found in wooded areas, carries Lyme disease. The Lone Star tick, once rare in Ohio, is now the most common tick in the southern part of the state. It carries several diseases, and its bite can cause a long-lasting allergy to red meat in some people. The brown dog tick is the only tick that can live indoors and is found around pets.

The fifth, and newest, tick in Ohio is the Asian longhorned tick. This tick, an invasive species originally from Asia, was first discovered in the U.S. in 2017.

Its superpower is exploding its population. According to Cornell University, females can reproduce asexually (parthenogenetically). One female can produce thousands of new ticks in a single season, dramatically increasing its population.

Ticks do not jump, fly or drop from trees. Instead, they wait on the ground, on low shrubs or grass for a potential host — a deer, dog, gardener or hiker — to pass by. When something brushes against where the tick is, the tick moves to the host.

An OSU fact sheet says to wear light-colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants to protect yourself against ticks. The light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to see. Tuck your pant legs into your socks for extra protection.

Repellents are also part of your personal protection strategy. DEET is a common insect repellent, but to be effective against ticks, the percentage of DEET in a product must be at least 25%.

A product containing permethrin can be used to repel / kill ticks on your clothes, but don’t use it on your skin. A good repellent combination is DEET on exposed skin and permethrin on clothing.

Read and follow all application directions on the products before using them.

If you have a tick on you, contact your medical provider for information on potential diseases.

To reduce the chances of ticks being around your home, mow any tall grass areas, trim back the shrubs and clean out any underbrush. If you find a tick and want it to be identified, you can bring it to the Plant and Pest Clinic at the OSU Extension Office.

Sprague is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.