Tick Tips and Tricks

Tick Bite Avoidance

While ticks can be found around the country at all times of the year, they are most commonly active during the warmer months. This means that you will need to be extra cautious from April to September.To avoid these pests, you first need to know where ticks can be found. Ticks are most commonly inhabiting:

● Tall grasses
● Wooded areas
● Moist, shady areas

To avoid these pests while still enjoying the outdoors, it is important to wear clothing that covers the skin and scalp that ticks are attracted to. It is also important that you do not stray from the man made paths while you are walking in the areas listed above. The father you roam into the tall grasses and wooded areas, the likelier you are to come in contact with more ticks.

After you come indoors, check yourself, your loved ones, and your pets for any signs of these pests. They can latch onto your clothing as well as your skin and in you or your pet’s hair.Even check any gear you may have brought out with you such as backpacks for any unwanted hidden passengers. Areas of the body to thoroughly examine include:

● In your ears
● In and around your hair
● Under your arms
● Between your legs

Safe Removal

Finding one or multiple ticks on your body is not something that should send you into a panic. Instead, you need to remain calm and begin the process of removing the pest from your body by following these simple steps.

1. Use a pair of tweezers to gently but firmly hold the tick from the point closest to your skin.
2. Begin to pull the tick upwards slowly with increasing pressure. Do not twist or sharply pull your tweezers away as this can leave the mouth of the tick behind still in your skin.
3. Once the tick is fully removed, clean the affected area as well as your hand and tweezers. You can use soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
4. Get rid of the tick by placing it in a sealed container and throwing it away or flushing it down the toilet.

If you experience a fever or rash around the bite area in the following hours or days, immediately contact your doctor. These may be signs that you have contracted a tick borne disease.

Eliminating the Threat

There are many ways that you can encounter ticks, so therefore there are many ways to eliminate the ticks from your life. Many people get bitten by ticks around their homes and yards. Employ these tricks to rid yourself of these unwanted pests.

1. Clean up the piles of yard waste and trash surrounding your house. Ticks enjoy hiding in these piles and can easily come into contact with you and your pets this way. They will also use long grass as a shady hiding spot so be sure to mow your lawn regularly and trim any plants.
2. Treat your pets with medication. The fewer ticks that our pets bring in mean fewer chances that you or your pet will come in contact with a tick-borne disease. Consult your veterinarian to determine what tick prevention method is right for you.
3. Wash your clothes in hot water and avoid adding the clothes you wore outdoors to a pile of other clothes. Ticks often adhere to your clothes and can travel into your home after you carry them inside. The hot water should kill these pests from all clothing items.
4. Avid planting vegetation that attracts deer such as hostas, daylilies, and evergreens. These deer often carry ticks with them that can spread quickly into your property and home. Instead, plant deer-resistant plants such as foxgloves, lavender, daffodils, and peonies.