A UW-Madison research team is working to help make it safer to be outside with a program to find and identify ticks.
It’s called The Tick App and researcher Bieneke Bron says they want to prevent the spread of tick borne illnesses like Lyme Disease.
There are several features to help you figure out what steps you need to take to protect yourself. Bron says you can even get a tick forecast from your phone before you go out.
“If you have your GPS location on it will find out in what county you are and it pulls from a database what activity level we expect for the deer ticks.”
You can also upload pictures of ticks you find and researchers will identify them for you. Bron reminds people that ticks are excellent at hiding inside of things like clothing and other debris.
It’s also important to make sure you check your pets for ticks after they come back inside.
“After going outside or after running into leaf litter or out in the backyard if you have the time and opportunity.”
You should also keep a close eye on any bedding your pet uses in order to be sure ticks aren’t hiding in there either.
You can download the app for both Apple and Android at The Tick App.