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‘Tis the season for ticks

FILE - A June 8, 2010 photo shows a wood tick - or dog tick - clinging to a pencil used for scale, in Springfield, Ill. Hantavirus, West Nile, Lyme disease and now, bubonic plague. The bugs of late summer are biting, although the risk of getting many of these scary-sounding diseases is very small. Lyme Disease is spread through ticks, the symptoms are fever, headache, fatigue and a bulls-eye rash. (Chris Young / The State Journal-register)
FILE - A June 8, 2010 photo shows a wood tick - or dog tick - clinging to a pencil used for scale, in Springfield, Ill. Hantavirus, West Nile, Lyme disease and now, bubonic plague. The bugs of late summer are biting, although the risk of getting many of these scary-sounding diseases is very small. Lyme Disease is spread through ticks, the symptoms are fever, headache, fatigue and a bulls-eye rash. (Chris Young / The State Journal-register)

HIKING -- If you're heading out to explore the lowland natural areas around Eastern Washington, be warned that it's time to be using some DEET insect repellent on your neck and cuffs of shirt and pants, and going "nerdy" by tucking those pant-legs into your socks.

Tick season is in full bloom.

I've plucked off a few while hiking with my dog near Fishtrap Lake and while strolling the soggy trails at Slavin Conservation Area.

Here's another outside report from Sunday:

Don’t know how many tick reports you’ve gotten, yet, but they’re definitely out at Saltese Uplands Conservation Area.

-- Paul Knowles, Spokane County Parks planner

Click here to read my detailed primer on hiking and recreating in tick country.

Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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