Black Hills National Forest

US Forest Service
Black Hills National Forest
1019 N. 5th Street
Custer, SD 57730
605-673-9200

Telephone for the
Hearing Impaired
605-673-9227

Warning: We have ticks in the Black Hills!

USDA Forest Service

Black Hills National Forest

While 17 tick species are found in South Dakota, the most common is the American dog tick, the chief carrier of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Tick species transmit various viral and bacterial forms. Following the tips below will help people protect themselves and their pets from tick exposure.

• Avoid tall grassy or shrubby areas, as ticks do not jump but wait on vegetation for an animal or human to brush against them.
• Since avoiding tall grassy or shrubby areas is not always practical, here are other ideas for tick protection:
  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants. Consider putting rubber bands around your wrists on the outside of your shirt and blouse your pants into your socks or boots.
  • Wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Wear light-colored clothing to help locate ticks before they attach.
  • Visually check for ticks upon returning from wooded or tall grassy areas.
  • Use a repellent containing DEET to help protect against ticks. Use recommended repellents for pets, including collars containing amitraz.

Once on a body, a tick's compulsion is to climb upwards. Ticks most often attach at the neck and scalp. Using the following directions for removing a tick may help avoid disease:

• If a tick is attached to human skin, carefully remove as quickly as possible so the tick doesn't have a chance to bury its mouthparts deeper into the skin.
• Using tweezers, place the tips as close to the skin as possible and remove the tick with a slow but steady pull to allow the tick to back out and avoid breaking off the head. If it appears the head was left in, see a doctor, as the head parts will likely lead to an infection.
• Be careful not to puncture, crush, or twist the tick in the removal process. Also, do not use other folk methods, such as a lighted match, as a traumatized tick may spit up the contents of its gut, increasing the chance of infection.
• Disinfect the area with antiseptic or rubbing alcohol and wash hands with soap and water. Place the tick in alcohol in a sealed bag and place it in a refrigerator to allow for accurate identification if a tick-carried disease is suspected. Flushing a tick down the toilet will not kill it.