Everywhere you look nowadays, ticks are being mentioned--it seems like an infestation is underway. Laima and I lived through a cyclical infestation in Florida, spending countless hours picking ticks off our dogs (worst was between the toes!). One scary fact we learned is that ticks can drop off trees, not just hide in long grass. Yuck.
Lyme disease is the fastest growing infectious disease and the most common tick-borne disease in the country, according to the Center for Disease Control, but there are numerous other diseases that ticks can pass along, as well. There is currently no full-proof diagnostic tool for Lyme disease, causing thousands of people to often go misdiagnosed and without appropriate treatment. Many sufferers of tick-borne illnesses are not even aware that they are victims of these diseases because they simply don’t have the facts. The Tick-Borne Disease Alliance (TBDA) is spreading the word about one of the season’s biggest dangers—the tick.
Top 10 Tick Prevention Tips
Purchase tick-repellent clothing, especially clothing treated with permethrin, an insecticide that repels and kills ticks. You may spray your own clothing with permethrin or seek out brands such as Insect Shield, ExOfficio’s BugsAway or ElimiTick from retailers like L.L. Bean and Eastern Mountain Sports, which remain effective for up to 70 washes
Reduce the amount of skin exposed by sporting long pants, long-sleeved shirts and a hat
EPA-approved insect repellent should be applied to exposed skin
Venture in the center of woodland trails, and by all means avoid walking along any deer paths
Every time you’ve been outside, check for ticks while you are out and as soon as you get back
Never wait to shower. Bathing as soon as possible will help in removing unattached ticks from your body. Bath time is the perfect time to carefully inspect for any unwanted hitchhikers.
Take your clothes off and put them in the dryer at high heat for about 30 minutes to kill any ticks
Inspect your pets when they come inside from the outdoors, as they may be transporting ticks that can then transfer to you
Opt for light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot ticks
Neatly tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants legs into your socks when possible to provide an extra line of defense against ticks
Reduce the amount of skin exposed by sporting long pants, long-sleeved shirts and a hat
EPA-approved insect repellent should be applied to exposed skin
Venture in the center of woodland trails, and by all means avoid walking along any deer paths
Every time you’ve been outside, check for ticks while you are out and as soon as you get back
Never wait to shower. Bathing as soon as possible will help in removing unattached ticks from your body. Bath time is the perfect time to carefully inspect for any unwanted hitchhikers.
Take your clothes off and put them in the dryer at high heat for about 30 minutes to kill any ticks
Inspect your pets when they come inside from the outdoors, as they may be transporting ticks that can then transfer to you
Opt for light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot ticks
Neatly tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants legs into your socks when possible to provide an extra line of defense against ticks
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Blech. I have a constant fear of having a tick on my head. The vet says this isn't supposed to be a bad tick year, yet is seems to be for our dogs. I've removed waaay too many. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteI can't stand ticks. Luckily, our insect repellent seems to do the job. When we were at cub scout camp, several kids had ticks and I pulled a couple off of our tent, but neither J nor I ever had one.
ReplyDeleteTicks are the worst! Our dog has had Lyme's already, but knock on wood, no people have yet.
ReplyDeleteGood timing with this one...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips. Ticks creep me out.
ReplyDelete