Summer is in full swing, and with that comes all sorts of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, and spending time in nature. While these activities can be a lot of fun, they also come with a risk: ticks. Ticks are tiny arachnids that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, or reptiles and can transmit diseases like Lyme disease. Follow these tick-bite prevention tips from Pest Control Omaha NE to help protect yourself from ticks and the diseases they carry.
– Wear protective clothing. When spending time outside, wear long pants and long sleeves to help prevent ticks from getting on your skin. Light-colored clothing can also help you spot ticks more easily.
– Use insect repellent. Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent to exposed skin and clothing. Repellents that contain at least 20% DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 are most effective.
– Avoid tick-infested areas. Stay on well-traveled trails and avoid areas with high grass or leaf litter when hiking or camping. Ticks often lurk in these areas, waiting to attach to a passing host.
– Check for ticks regularly. If you’ve been in an area where ticks are common, check your body for ticks when you get home. Use a mirror to check hard-to-see areas like your scalp, armpits, and groin. If you find a tick, remove it promptly and adequately.
– Keep your lawn and garden pest-free.Ticks can live in areas with high grass and dense vegetation. To help prevent them from taking up residence on your property, keep your lawn well-trimmed and free of leaf litter. You may also consider using a pest control service to treat your yard for ticks and other pests.
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– Wear appropriate clothing. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when you’re in an area where ticks are common. Consider wearing light-colored clothing so that ticks are easier to spot. You may also want to tuck your pants into your socks to create a barrier between your skin and the tick-infested vegetation.
– Take precautions when hiking and camping. Stay on well-traveled trails when walking in tick-infested areas and avoid brushing up against vegetation. When camping, choose sites that are away from wooded or grassy areas.
– Inspect your body for ticks. Perform a full-body tick check at the end of each day, and promptly remove any ticks that you find. Ticks can attach to any body part but are often found in hard-to-see places like the groin, armpits, and scalp. Use a mirror to help you spot ticks that may be hiding in hard-to-see areas.
– Remove ticks promptly and carefully. The best way to remove a tick is with fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Avoid crushing the tick’s body, which can release harmful toxins into your skin. If you don’t have tweezers, you can use a piece of clean cotton thread to lift the tick away from the skin carefully.
– Disinfect the bite site and wash your hands. Once the tick is removed, disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water.
– Watch for signs of illness. Sometimes, ticks can transmit diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These illnesses include fever, chills, rash, joint pain, and fatigue. If you experience any of these symptoms after being bitten by a tick, see a doctor as soon as possible.
Contact Pest Control Omaha NE professional in your area to learn more about pest control and how to prevent tick bites.
