Those Dreaded Ticks

Do you like these flowers from my gardens?  I bet you don’t immediately think of ticks when you see these pretty flowers.  However, ticks are what I want to talk about on this blog post. 

Ticks live outdoors so we are at risk for being tick-food whenever we are outside. Ticks can carry viruses, germs and parasites which cause ten different diseases (including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever). 

Recognize how to protect yourself and your loved ones from tick bites: 

Ticks live in moist, humid places so grassy places and woods are their habitat.  However, remember that deer and animals can carry ticks into your yard.  Last year I found a tick behind my ear after I spent time working in my flower beds.  We treat our yard routinely to discourage ticks so where did that tick come from?  Probably off the deer who often walk through our yard at night. 

According to the CDC website, we can protect ourselves by using DEET repellent on our skin and permethrin products which kill ticks on our boots, clothing and camping gear.  (Don’t use permethrin on skin).  For details on how to properly use these products, check out http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/

Tick Check

My husband and I joke about doing a tick check on each other, but it’s a good practice.  As you come in, check your clothing for ticks.  Shower as soon as you can.  A shower within 2 hours is recommended as one way to find and wash away any unattached ticks.  Physically look and check for ticks.  If you are doing this tick check on yourself, use a mirror to examine hard-to-see areas.  Body areas that you should check include:  under the arms, in and around ears, between legs, in and around your hair, inside belly button, at the waist and backs of knees. 

What if you find a tick? 

If you find a tick attached, the CDC recommends, “grasping with tweezers, as close to the skin as possible, and pulling it straight out.”  http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/

Other preventive actions

Treat your yard to create “tick-safe zones”.   More information about this topic can be found at http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/special_features/tickhandbook.pdf

Discourage deer (My personal opinion is good luck on this one.  When our subdivision was built on what was original farm land that deer wandered through, that’s probably not going to change.) The suggested actions involve removing plants that deer like to feed on and constructing physical barriers to keep deer out. 

Protect your family pets (which also protects your family) http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_pets.html

If you do get tick bit, watch the wound carefully and seek medical help if a fever or rash develops.  More information can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/