How to remove ticks and prevent future bites
Ticks are small insect creatures that live in heavily-wooded or grassy areas. If you walk through these areas, they can attach to your skin and feed on your blood. Although most ticks do not carry disease, some can cause serious illness, such as Lyme disease, Powassan virus, or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. To prevent infection, it’s important to remove a tick from your skin as soon as you notice it.
Ticks can bite at any time, however they’re most active in April through September. Fortunately, there are many things people can do to protect themselves and their families against ticks.
To prevent tick bites, we recommend the following tips:
Walk in the center of trails
Avoid walking through heavily-wooded and bushy areas with tall grass.
If you must walk through heavily-wooded areas, wear long pants and long sleeves. Pull your socks up over your pants, and tuck your shirt into your pants to prevent ticks from crawling up your body. It’s also a good idea to wear light-colored clothes so that ticks can be spotted easily.
Use insect repellent that contains 20-30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing.
Make sure to follow the product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, making sure to avoid the hands, eyes and mouth.
Examine your skin after spending time in heavily-wooded or brushy areas.
Conduct a full-body tick check to make sure that no ticks are crawling on you. Since ticks prefer warm, moist areas, be sure to check your armpits, groin and hair. You should also check your children, pets and any gear you used outside.
Click to DOWNLOAD FLYER
