What Do We Know About Ticks?

We know that ticks are responsible for the spread of diseases such as Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and that these diseases can potentially be a severe threat to our health. We know they are tiny, we know they like to hang out in woodland areas, but do we know much about their background? Here’s an interesting article that shares a little more of the science when it comes to these pesky arachnids.

The Science of Ticks

Lots of people love to enjoy the outdoors in the summer—picnicking, chilling out on the lawn, hikes in the woods. Unfortunately, in many areas, a mild winter and abundant mice have led to a bumper crop of ticks this year, and with them tick-transmitted diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Babesiosis, the infamous Lyme disease, and more. Given that we’re likely to meet them in person, here’s some background on ticks and tick bites.

We don’t want these little hazards to our health ruining our enjoyment of time outside in the warmer months, so what can you do to protect yourself from ticks?

If you find a tick has attached itself to you, do you know how to remove it safely? Remember, that the longer it has been on your body, the greater the chance of any potential disease being transmitted. Therefore, it’s so important that you check yourself and your kids AND your pets, for any ticks if you’ve been spending time outdoors.

How to remove a tick … the right way

There is a right way and a wrong way to removing a tick from one’s body or pet and choosing incorrectly can result in exposure to tick-borne disease. The Centers for Disease Control warns us to avoid “folklore remedies,” such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. The goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible and without irritating the tick.

If you are concerned that you may have been bitten by a tick and are worried that you are experiencing symptoms that could be a result of a bite, then it’s important you seek medical advice as soon as possible.