Planning An Easter Egg Hunt? Experts Warn To Protect Against Ticks

AMHERST (CBS) – With Easter egg hunts and warmer weather on tap this weekend, specialists are reminding people to watch out for ticks.

UMass-Amherst has one of the only labs in the country that provides tick checks. If you find one you can send it to Laboratory of Medical Zoology and technicians will check it for diseases.

Technician Tim Daly told Western Mass News that they see submissions go from 100 a week to 100 a day this time of year. He said preparations for outdoor holiday gatherings this weekend should include picking up leaves.

"Leaves provide a really good environment for ticks," Daly said. "It keeps them warm over the winter and provides moisture so they don't dry out so they can hide under there over the winter into the early spring."

Ticks are expected to stick around through the fall. You can order a TickReport from the lab to see what diseases ticks in your yard might be carrying.