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TIMELY TOPICS
A tick bite can occur any month of the year, but warm spring temperatures and the annual flush of vegetation growth make it much more likely we will come into contact with ticks now. Simple vigilance and using precautionary steps can almost eliminate the risk of a serious tick bite.
Behaviors and habits that can help minimize exposure to ticks include walking in the center of trails to avoid brushing against weeds and tall grass, keeping grass and brush on your property cut and thinned, wearing light-colored clothing so ticks can be found easily, tucking pant legs into socks so ticks stay on the outside of pants, and conducting tick checks on yourself and children every four hours. Pet owners should ask their veterinarian to recommend tick control medications.
Insect repellents containing active ingredients such as DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon, eucalyptus, Bio-UD, or IR3535 can be applied to exposed skin and are effective at deterring ticks.
Another very effective deterrent strategy is to treat clothing and shoes with permethrin. It is critical you closely follow label directions when treating clothing with permethrin, most especially applying the treatment outdoors in a well-ventilated area and preventing the chemical from coming into contact with your skin. Once the clothing has air dried, it is safe to wear and launder in your home machine. Most product labels say the protection is good for at least 40 days or six washings. This product is not recommended for under clothing or hats but it is safe to treat the top of socks that will be above footwear. Understandably, many people are hesitant to treat their clothing with an insecticide or frequently use insect repellents but many others see the risk of being exposed to a tick-borne disease is a far greater concern.
Lawn treatments are temporary and only marginally effective. Generally, a lawn treatment might be advised only if the homeowner plans an event such as a reception or cookout where a significant number of people will be on the lawn. For day-today control, following the other prevention steps listed are more effective and less expensive.
There are updated recommendations for what actions to take when you have a tick bite so people who suffer a tick bite should contact their doctor for advice. Identifying the tick might be interesting to know but there is now such a range of possible health impacts from any tick, it is probably more important to preserve the tick (in a small vile in rubbing alcohol), record the date of the bite, and monitor the site of the bite. The length of time the tick is latched on the skin can impact the risk of disease exposure so timely and correct removal is imperative.
If you find a tick on your body, your children, or your pets it is important to remove it immediately. To properly remove an attached tick, use tweezers or a tick removal spoon. Do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish, or other folk remedies to remove ticks. Those methods are not effective and may increase the risk of disease transmission.
After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area, your hands, and the tweezers with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water. If you experience a rash, headaches, fever, or flu-like symptoms after a recent tick bite, see a physician right away.
For more information on ticks, contact the Rockbridge County Extension Office.
