Marshfield Clinic: Research institute kicks off third year of citizen tick collecting

MARSHFIELD, Wis. – Building on two years of citizen support, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is once again asking Wisconsin residents to send in ticks they find while working and recreating outside this year.

In 2024, the Research Institute launched the Tick Inventory via Citizen Science (TICS) in an effort to identify ticks that are found in the state. This information can be used to assess risk of encountering a tickborne disease and to learn more about who is being exposed to and diagnosed with tickborne diseases.

In both 2024 and 2025, nearly 6,000 ticks were collected annually from nearly every Wisconsin county.

“We had overwhelming support from people are curious and invested in helping better identify the health threats associated with ticks,” said Jennifer Meece, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute executive director. “We had many calls last year from people who told us about the impact tick-borne disease had on their lives.”

Of the ticks collected in 2024, nearly 3,600 or more than 61 percent were the American dog (wood) tick and the majority of the remainder were the deer (blacklegged) tick. Researchers saw almost a 10 percent increase in the number of the much smaller deer ticks submitted in 2025 compared to a year earlier.

“The deer tick’s small size and greater likelihood of carrying illnesses like Lyme disease is what makes it critical to perform tick checks after spending time in wooded or brushy areas,” said Alexandra Linz, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute associate research scientist.

Risk of nasty diseases, seeking personal feedback

Deer ticks carry pathogens that may cause diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis. The influx of ticks discovered during the first two years of the study allowed the research team to detect much rarer species in Wisconsin, such as the lone star tick.

“Some of these ticks are typically found in warmer climates are now appearing in the Midwest,” Linz said. “The question is, are they breeding here or are they just catching a ride and we found it by chance?”

At the end of last tick season, the Research Institute reached out to everyone agreed to a post-season survey to learn more about their experiences with Lyme disease or other tick-borne disease. This year, along with ongoing tick collection and surveys, the goal is to understand in more detail experiences with Lyme and other tick-transmitted diseases. Anyone can share their story – a tick submission is not required.

“We’ve had a number of people who have shared their stories of themselves or their loved ones who endured through a tick-borne illness,” Meece said. “Our new study Tick Inventory via Citizen Science-Lyme Experience Narrative Study or TICS-LENS is aimed at engaging individuals who have experienced Lyme or another tick-infection to tell their story. It is open text, so individuals can share as little or as much as they feel comfortable sharing. Responses will be anonymous, unless people want to share their contact information.”

Symptoms of illnesses resulting from a tick bite can include rash, fever, joint pain, and fatigue. Contact your medical provider if you have these symptoms. To reduce the risk of tick bites, spray insecticide such as permethrin on clothing, sleeping bags, and tent fabric. Wear clothing that covers your skin. Finally, check yourself or have someone help you check for ticks after time spent outdoors.

Get your tick kit

For more information, or to request a pre-paid collection kit be sent to you, contact tics@marshfieldclinic.org or 1-715-389-7796 (extension 16462). Parks and nature centers interested in having kits available for their visitors also are encouraged to contact Marshfield Clinic Research Institute. Kits left over from last year may still be used.

Once the tick, dead or alive, has been placed in the collection kit, just drop it in the mail to submit. Any tick found on people or pets is appreciated. Each kit will come with a unique identification number that people can use to look up, via an online dashboard, the species of ticks they submitted.

About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with 60 locations in three states and nearly 190 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.