Citizen scientist study seeks ticks from across Minnesota

March 23, 2026

Contact:
Jillian Johnson
Media Relations Specialist –Bemidji Region
(218) 333-6090 / jillian.johnson@sanfordhealth.org

BEMIDJI, Minn. – The sun’s rays are warming and the snow on the ground has all but disappeared. That means tick season is here and Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, part of the Marshfield Clinic region of Sanford Health, is beginning its second year of its Tick Inventory via Citizen Science (TICS) in Minnesota.

Originally launched in 2024 in Wisconsin, TICS is an effort to identify ticks to assess risk of encountering a tickborne disease and to learn more about who is being exposed to and diagnosed with tickborne diseases.

In less than two months last fall, the Research Institute received about two dozen tick submissions–mostly from the Bemidji area. Nearly 6,000 ticks were submitted in Wisconsin.

“The citizen tick study was the first opportunity for Marshfield Clinic Research Institute to collaborate with our new Sanford colleagues in Minnesota,” said Jennifer Meece, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute executive director. “Ticks are prevalent in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and we anticipate Minnesota residents will be supportive in sending in ticks starting this spring to help us learn more about ticks and tick-borne diseases.”

Deer ticks, which are much smaller than the American dog (wood) tick, 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. The lone star tick spreads ehrlichiosis and potentially Alpha-gal Syndrome, also known as the meat allergy, and Brown dog ticks that spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

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

“In Minnesota, spending time outdoors is part of who we are,” said Daniel Hoody, MD, chief physician and chief medical officer for Sanford Health in Bemidji. “As tick activity increases, it’s important that we stay informed and proactive. This study gives our communities a practical way to contribute to research that can ultimately protect the health of our families.”

At the end of last tick season, the Research Institute reached out to everyone who submitted a tick and asked if they would share their personal story with Lyme disease or other tick-borne disease. The goal is to better understand their experiences and how researchers can better diagnose and treat the disease. This year, 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

Tick collection kits are available at the Sanford Bemidji Walk-In Clinic, located at 1611 Anne St. NW, in Bemidji. No appointment is necessary and kits are available in the lobby.

For more information, or to request a pre-paid collection kit be sent directly to you, contact tics@marshfieldclinic.org or (715) 389-7796 ext. 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, drop it in the mail to submit using the kits provided. Any tick found on people or pets is appreciated. Each kit will come with a unique identification number that participants can use to look up, via an online dashboard, the species of ticks they submitted. Multiple ticks can be submitted but identification of ticks is limited to 10 per kit.

The kit has additional optional survey questions including the types of precautions the person is taking to avoid ticks, if they have ever been diagnosed with a tickborne disease and if the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute can follow up with the person for potential future studies.

Tick submissions from all over Minnesota are encouraged, regardless of whether the person is a Sanford Health or Marshfield Clinic patient.

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.

 

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