Before you head outside, think like a tick. Contrary to what some people think, ticks don't climb trees, lie in wait for a suitable host, and then jump or drop onto their victim. Most likely, you pick up a tick when you brush against the grass or shrub on which it's perched. They are usually found within three feet of the ground.
It's very important to avoid ticks as best as you can. They carry Lyme disease and other infectious diseases. And just one bite can infect you. Their keen ability to sense carbon dioxide and body heat prepares them for their "host." Their forelegs get ready to grab onto clothing, hair, or skin.
Discourage Ticks
If you want to absolutely avoid a tick, stay away from tick habitat, especially in the early spring and summer. Ticks like humid areas with lots of shrubbery, low-hanging tree branches, and tall grasses.
To reduce ticks in your yard:
- Keep your grass mowed short, and let it dry between watering.
- Plant shrubbery, flowers, and low-hanging trees as far away from play areas as possible.
- Prune trees and shrubs to encourage free air flow.
- Open up your yard to the sun.
- Frequently rake up leaves, twigs, and other debris. Keep litter picked up.
- Remove anything that attracts wildlife: bird feeders, birdbaths, stone walls, and salt licks.
- If ticks continue to be a problem, you might want to have your property sprayed with a chemical that kills ticks.
If you're hooked on hiking, hunting, or other outdoor pursuits, try these tactics to avoid tick bites:
- Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt whenever possible.
- Tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants.
- Pull back long hair.
- Wear a hat.
- Wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to see a tick.
- Tall boots (even rubber boots) might keep low-lying ticks off you.
- Stay on paths.
- If you must rest, stand in the center of the path. Sitting down gives ticks more opportunity to find you.
- Check often for ticks as you hike along. They like to crawl to moist, warm areas. So check around your ears, hairline, around the collar, and at elbow and knee joints.
- Consider applying an insect repellent containing DEET to all exposed skin, as well as applying permethrin (which kills ticks on contact) to your clothing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, adults and children can use DEET safely. Just be sure to follow the instructions, and remove it as soon as you get home.
When You Get Home
- Change your clothes. Put the clothes you were wearing in the dryer for at least 30 minutes. (You can even wash them first if you want…)
- Perform a naked, full-body inspection. Pay particular attention to areas frequented by ticks:
- Your underwear line or bra line
- Parts that bend (back of knee, underarms, between fingers or toes)
- Hairline, top of head, behind ears
- Moist, warm locations (bellybutton, back)
Remember to check your pets too. Not only will it keep them safer, but it also protects you and your family. Your pet can bring a tick inside, and it can detach then attach to you or a loved one. Worse yet, it could be female and lay eggs inside your house!
If you find a crawling tick, remove it with tweezers – and flush it down the toilet!
Be Aware — Then Go Have Fun!
The great outdoors continues to be great. So go ahead, lace up those shoes, and head for the backwoods (or the back yard). Before you go, take precautions. And when you're done, be sure to check for ticks. |
