Why Didn’t We See So Many Ticks in Tennessee Back in the ’80s?
You saw a tick now and then in the ’80s, but nothing like today. The deer comeback, growing suburbs, and spreading tick ranges explain why there are so many ticks in Tennessee now.
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Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever & Ehrlichiosis: The Tick Diseases Tennessee Actually Sees
Just ask around Middle Tennessee and you will hear some version of: “there’s no Lyme in Tennessee” delivered as settled fact. It is a half-truth, and a dangerous one — not because Lyme is common here, but because it leaves people believing tick bites in Tennessee are of less concern. They are not. Tennessee consistently…
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The Diagnosis Was Ehrlichiosis — Tennessee’s Most Reported Tick Illness
The text from the doctor came in on a Tuesday afternoon. Ehrlichiosis, confirmed. I had spent a week and a half telling people we did not know the diagnosis yet. Having a name for it helped more than I expected it to. What surprised me was looking up the Tennessee numbers afterward and realizing that…
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Alpha-Gal in Tennessee: The Tick Bite That Can Make You Allergic to Red Meat
Someone eats a hamburger at 6 pm and feels fine. At 10 the next morning, they wake up covered in hives, with stomach cramps, and in serious cases, trouble breathing. Because the reaction came four hours after the meal rather than four minutes, almost nobody, including many physicians, connects it to the food. That is…
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The ER Found Nothing. Two Days Later He Was Back.
The fever came on a Saturday, two days after the tick was removed. By that evening, J.K. was in the emergency room. They ran the tests you would expect them to run. Nothing came back that explained his symptoms. They sent him home. I need you to sit with that for a second, because that…
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You Found a Tick — Now What? Removal, Timeline, and When to Call a Doctor
Here at U.S. Pest Protection, we are experts on tick control, removal, and safety measures. Below is a guide on what to do if you find a tick on yourself, a family member, or a pet, when to seek medical attention, and how you can protect from future bites and activity. The Short Answer If…
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He Found the Tick, Went Straight to the Doctor, and Still Ended Up in the ER
J.K. went to the doctor for a routine check-up on a Thursday. They found a tick, removed it, and he went home. The next day he woke up extremely ill. By Saturday he was in the ER. Eleven days later he had a confirmed tick-borne illness and two hospital visits behind him. J.K. Is the…
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A Tick Put My Husband in the Emergency Room Twice
And we run a pest control company. Overview My husband J.K. is the COO of U.S. Pest Protection. Our family has been in the pest control business in Middle Tennessee since 1985. We spend our working lives thinking about ticks — where they live, when they are active, how to keep them off people. Last…
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