Henry County Health Department - Serving All of Henry County, Ohio

Mosquitoes and Ticks

Ticks and mosquitoes can be more than just a nuisance. They can spread germs that make you sick. Fight the bite by taking steps to prevent tick- and mosquito-borne disease.

Mosquitoes

Almost everyone has been bitten by a mosquito. Mosquitoes can spread pathogens (germs) through bites. A person who gets bitten by a mosquito and gets sick has a mosquito-borne disease.

Mosquito-borne diseases that may occur locally in Ohio include:

There are also several mosquito-borne diseases that Ohioans can acquire when traveling that could be brought back into Ohio.
Standing water is necessary for adult mosquitoes to be produced. Rain and irrigation water can produce hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes if it is allowed to stand for as little as three days.

It is possible to safely treat standing water within 24 to 48 hours to prohibit the development of mosquitoes before the biting adults begin to emerge. The health department offers mosquito dunks that can be used to treat standing water that cannot be emptied such as small fish ponds, rain barrels, bird baths, tree holes, elevator shafts, planter reservoirs, and rain gutters.

To request mosquito dunks for your home
email env@henrycohd.org or call 419-599-5545

You can prevent these and other mosquito-borne diseases by using proven self protections to avoid mosquito bites and by eliminating or treating standing water sources.

Local municipalities and villages may conduct mosquito control programs.  For more information about mosquito control you should contact the appropriate officials where you live.


Ticks

Ticks bites can make people sick. Diseases spread by ticks are an increasing concern in Ohio and are being reported to the Ohio Department of Health more frequently in the past decade, with Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) being the most common.  Other tickborne diseases such as anaplasmosisbabesiosis, and ehrlichiosis are also on the rise.  

The best way to to prevent tickborne diseases is to prevent tick bites.  In Ohio, tickborne illnesses are most often transmitted between early spring and late fall since ticks are most active during warm months.

Take action to decrease your risk of infection: protect against tick bites, check for ticks, remove ticks as soon as you can, and watch for symptoms.

Use the tick bite bot below to learn how to remove an attached tick and information on seeking health care, if appropriate, after a tick bite.

Resources: