Tick bites are on the rise in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says most tick bites happen during the warmer months. The agency’s tracker showed 169 bites reported last week, an increase of nearly 70 from the week prior. Tick bites can lead to many dangerous illnesses in humans, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and others.
Though you might think ticks are just a concern for hikers, certain species can also be found in grassy areas of gardens. The CDC says to help keep ticks away you should apply pesticides in the yard, remove leaf litter, clear tall grasses and brush, place a three-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas, mow the lawn frequently, discourage unwelcome animals from entering the yard, and remove old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the yard.
Wearing EPA-registered insect repellents can also help keep you personally protected, as well as treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. You should also avoid trekking through wooded or bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
Once you’re back inside from your adventures you should check clothing for ticks, tumble dry clothing for ten minutes on high heat to kill any ticks you may have missed; shower within two hours of coming indoors and do a tick check on your body. If you do find a tick on your body don’t panic—use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible, pull upward with steady, even pressure and don’t twist or jerk the tick.
If you can’t remove the mouth of the tick easily, leave it and let the skin heal. Wash the bite area thoroughly with rubbing alcohol, soap, and water. To dispose of the tick, put it in alcohol, place it in a sealed bag, wrap it tightly in tape, or flush it down the toilet. If you get a rash or fever within several weeks of removing the tick, see a doctor and mention the bite.
