Depending on where you live, you may or may not have come across ticks. Ticks can’t fly or jump, so these little pests transfer onto an animal, or person, who brushes up against any foliage that they may have crawled on. Once on a host, they normally make their way to a warm, moist location such as the armpits before settling down to draw blood.
While not all ticks cause illness, they are known carriers for the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, as well as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, and others.
As with most things, the easiest thing to do when dealing with ticks is to not have to deal with them at all. Preventing the little bloodsuckers from grabbing hold in the first place is easy.
Here are four tips to help prevent tick bites:
1. Protect yourself, your children, and your pets with these natural products recommended by Village Green: Combat-Ready Bug Repellant from Skincando, Anti-Bug Shake and Spray or Anti-Bug Balm from Badger.
2. Wear light-coloured clothing when headed into the woods. You’ll be able to spot any ticks that may fall on your clothes more easily this way.
3. Tuck your pants into your socks, and your shirt tucked into your pants. It may not look attractive, but it’ll sure help!
4. Inspect yourself, your children, and your pets after having spent time in the woods.
If you are unfortunate to have a tick on you, here is what to do:
- Use a pair of tweezers to grip the tick as closely as you can to the skin’s surface.
- Pull the tick away from the skin gently.
- Inspect the area to make sure that the tick’s mouth-parts haven’t remained in your skin.
- Wash your hands and the affected area thoroughly with soap and water.
After removing the tick, watch for signs of infection from the bite, and get checked immediately if you notice that an infection is starting to develop or if you get a rash, fever, headaches, or flu-like symptoms. If you cannot remove the tick completely, then seek professional help.
