Tick Safety Article- March 26, 2015

With the sunshine coming out, people and pets both love to be outside but so do ticks!  Everyone knows what a tick is and the damage that it can do to one’s immune system.  When it comes to spreading safety about these insects, everyone focuses on Lyme disease.  But do you know how to prevent yourself and your beloved pets from a tick?

The time of year has come for everyone to be out and about enjoying the Great Outdoors with hikes or bike rides, trips to Raystown Lake and gardening.  When out and about in the woods, it’s very likely to come across numerous ticks. For our avid hikers, wear light colors to clearly identify a tick and you can use DEET on your exposed skin to repel ticks.  If you wear long pants while being outside, you should tuck the pant legs into your socks so the ticks can’t crawl underneath the denim and attach to your skin.  Coming indoors from an adventure is the perfect time to check yourself for ticks.  Remember to always check your entire body especially where your skin folds due to ticks being able to hide easily.  Also throw your clothes into the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to assure that insects hiding in your clothing are killed.

If you are yard lover, there are ways to protect yourself, your family and your pets from ticks.  These insects love to hide in tall grasses, shrubs and even in the leaves that clutter your gardens and yard every fall.  Keeping your yard trimmed and the leaves cleaned up will help tremendously!  Living in area that is surrounded by woods, you can guarantee seeing a tick in your yard.  By building a three foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and the wooded areas, you can restrict tick migration into your family recreational space.  While your pets are soaking up the sun the next couple months, take precautions to ensure that you won’t be pulling ticks off of them when they come inside.  There are various sprays and shampoos that you can use to keep ticks away.

While you are enjoying your time in the sun and warmth, always be aware of your surroundings and be alert for these nasty insects.  If you take these precautions, you will have a tick-free spring and summer!