05/19/2025
Let's Talk Ticks!
Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September).
Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood.
What happens if you get bite by a tick??
Step 1: Use tweezers to grasp the tick firmly at its head or mouth, next to the skin. Use a magnifying glass, if you have one, to see the tick clearly.
Step 2: Pull firmly and steadily until the tick lets go of the skin. (Do not twist the tick or rock it from side to side.)
Step 3: Thoroughly wash the area with soap and water.
Step 4: Place the tick in a sealed container or bag with rubbing alcohol. Save for species ID (important in determining eligibility for Lyme disease prophylaxis)
Symptoms to watch for:
• Fever, rash, or flu-like illness in the weeks following the tick bite. Location of the tick exposure can assist in guiding diagnosis.
• If acute tickborne disease is suspected, including early Lyme disease, treatment should not be delayed.
• Of the many different tick species found throughout the world, only a select few bite and transmit bacteria, viruses, and parasites (pathogens) that cause diseases in people.
Natural repellent options:
• Natural tick repellents
• Cypress
• Juniper
• Balsam torchwood
• Osage orange
• Tauroniro tree
• Geraniol
• Lemon eucalyptus
(i.e. sprays, creams, essential oils
For more information about ticks visit the link below:
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/about/where-ticks-live.html
