From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— The Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is asking state residents to participate in an ongoing project focused on tickborne diseases by sending in ticks they encounter in Wisconsin.
The institute launched the Tick Inventory via Citizen Science effort in 2024, and it’s now in its third year. By identifying the different types of ticks in the state, the project aims to better understand the risk of encountering the diseases they carry — such as Lyme disease — as well as who is being exposed.
Jennifer Meece, the executive director for the research institute, says the effort has garnered “overwhelming support” from state residents that want to help identify the threat that ticks pose to human health.
“We had many calls last year from people who told us about the impact tick-borne disease had on their lives,” she said in the release.
Nearly 6,000 ticks were collected in both 2024 and 2025, with submissions coming from most counties in the state, according to figures provided by the institute. Last year, researchers found a 10% jump in the number of deer ticks submitted over the year.
Alexandra Linz, an associate research scientist with the institute, notes the deer tick’s smaller size and greater propensity for carrying illnesses make it “critical to perform tick checks” after being in the woods or brush.
“Some of these ticks [that] are typically found in warmer climates are now appearing in the Midwest,” Linz said. “The question is, are they breeding here or are they just catching a ride and we found it by chance?”
In addition to the ongoing tick collection effort, researchers ask anyone to send in their personal stories with Lyme disease and other tick-related diseases.
The institute provides pre-paid collection kits that can be used to send in ticks that are living or dead by mail. Those that submit to the project will receive identication information they can use to later look up what kind of tick they found.
See more in the release below.
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– Marshfield Clinic: Research institute kicks off third year of citizen tick collecting
