Are they turkey mites, seed ticks or baby ticks?
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Egyptian Public and Mental Health Department wants to clear up some of the confusion over the tiny little bugs that have become a common nuisance, especially in the spring forests of southern Illinois.
Turkey mites and seed ticks are laymen's terms for the immature larval and nymph stages of the lone star tick. Many local residents have assumed the increasing wild turkey populations have led to the abundance of "turkey mites" which is not true, according to a press release from the health department.
In Southern Illinois there are only two common species of ticks: Lone star ticks and American dog ticks. The lone star tick is slightly smaller than the common American dog tick. The female lone star has a single white spot near the center of her back while the males do not possess the white spot and are smaller than the females. Lone star ticks and dog ticks have four stages of development: Egg, larval, nymph and adult stages. Unlike the dog tick, the lone star tick can bite humans in all stages but the egg stage.
The deer tick -- also known as the blacklegged tick -- is rare to Southern Illinois. This particular tick is the common vector for Lyme disease. Since deer ticks are not common in southern Illinois, any individuals with Lyme disease were likely infected somewhere else. In 2008, however, the Egyptian Health Department had 25 reported and confirmed cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Both the lone star tick and the American dog tick can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Lone star ticks can carry the bacterium that causes ehrlichiosis. The symptoms for all three of these diseases are similar. Anyone who has been exposed to tick bites should immediately see a doctor if they are experiencing headache, fever, fatigue, muscle aches or any other flu-like symptoms.
The health department recommends removing ticks with a pair of tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Slowly and steadily pull the tick straight out. Wash the site with warm soapy water and rubbing alcohol to remove any pathogens.
The department recommends saving the ticks in a jar or vial for future identification if needed.