It's that time of the year to be proactive when it comes to ticks, which have been known to carry Lyme disease. Here's tips on how to protect and treat tick bites.

wood tick season
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Summer is here and when the sunshine comes out so do the ticks, and they can be dangerous if you're not careful. Winnebago County Health Department wants to help you be tick-free and has plenty of tips to prevent possible problems these ugly beasts can bring. WCHD covers everything from preventative yard care, clothing recommendations, the best ways to travel through walking paths, and which repellent you should use.

Here are a few tick tips from Winnebago County Health Department.

Yard/Landscaping

• Remove leaf litter and clear tall grasses and brush around homes and at the edges of lawns.

• Place wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to restrict tick migration to recreational areas.

• Mow the lawn and clear brush and leaf litter frequently.

• Keep the ground under bird feeders clean.

• Stack wood neatly and in dry areas.

• Keep playground equipment, decks and patios away from yard edges and trees.

 

Walking Paths

• Avoid wooded areas or areas with tall grass and weeds.

• If you are in these areas, stay on the paths.

 

Clothing

• Wear light-colored, protective clothing—long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, boots or sturdy shoes, and a head covering. Tuck trouser cuffs in socks.

 

Repellant

• Apply insect repellant containing 10% to 30% DEET primarily to clothes.

• Apply sparingly to exposed skin (except on the face). Be sure to wash treated skin after coming indoors.

• Use repellents containing permethrin to treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes)—but not skin.

• Always follow label directions; do not misuse or overuse insect repellents. Always supervise children in the use of insect repellents.

 

If you, someone in the family, or your pet gets bit by a tick do not cover it with petroleum jelly or use a match to get ride of it. WCHD advises against those "go-to" methods.

The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and gently, but firmly, pull it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick. If tweezers are not available, grasp the tick with a piece of tissue or cloth or whatever can be used as a barrier between your fingers and the tick. Do not use bare hands. If the mouth-parts break off, do not become alarmed; once the mouth-parts are removed from the rest of the tick, the tick can no longer transmit the Lyme disease bacteria.

For more about ticks, Lyme disease, treatments, and more check out wchd.org.


 

 

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