Summertime is an open hunting season for all types of biting insects, and ticks are some of the most dangerous.  Different kinds of ticks can transmit several kinds of diseases to the people they bite, such as Rocky Mountain Fever and Lyme disease. In the following section we’ll teach you how to protect yourself from ticks, and what to do if you are bit by one. This section also includes a brief discussion on the symptoms and treatments of Lyme disease.

First off there are three kinds of ticks you need to worry about:

Brown dog ticks: These are the most widespread ticks, as they can be found all over the world. Luckily these ticks prefer dogs to people, so humans are rarely bit by them. Unluckily if your pet has a large infestation of them, they risk suffering from anemia.

American dog ticks: These ticks are most abundant in eastern North America and usually bite humans, dogs, and wildlife.  These ticks are known to carry the organism that causes Rocky Mountain Fever.

Lone star ticks: These ticks are found from TX to OK, eastward to the Atlantic coast, and from Mexico to Central and South America.  These ticks are also known to pass along Rocky Mountain Fever.

Deer ticks: these are the guys to watch out for.  Found all over America deer ticks are usually found on white tailed deer, and are then spread to humans who pass though an area frequented by deer.  These ticks are much smaller than most other ticks (about the size of a pencil eraser), as they are only about the size of a sesame seed.

Secondly, here’s how you avoid getting bit by a tick:

• Tuck your pant legs into your socks or shoes and tuck your shirt into your pants.  Because ticks usually climb from the ground up, this will keep them on the outside of your clothes where it will be easier to find them.
• Wear light colored clothing.  It will be easier to spot any ticks that grab on to you.
• Put the buddy system to good use.  You and your companions should inspect each other often for ticks when you are in their habitat, and do a thorough search when you return home.
• Since ticks like to attach themselves to the head and neck, be sure you check that area out completely.
• If you work in an area where ticks are commonly found, then avoid wearing your work clothing home, as any attached ticks could then be brought into your home.
• Also, check any pets that go outside and frolic in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas as ticks may be transferred from them to you.
• And lastly wear insect repellents.  DEET repellents (DEET no more than 30%) can be applied to the skin, and a stronger Permethrin tick repellant and pesticide (not allowed in some states) may be applied directly to clothing (shoes, socks, cuffs and pant legs are most effective), tents and other gear or apparel.  This pesticide should last about two weeks and two launderings.

I got bit anyway, how do I remove the tick?

Ticks should be removed as soon as possible to avoid contracting the diseases many of them carry. 

• Using a pair of tweezers, get as close to your skin and its head as you can and slowly and gently pull the tick out. 

• If you grab and squeeze to hard then the head and mouthparts may break off and remain in your skin. If this happens then seek medical help to have them removed.

• Once the tick has been removed, you may want to save it in a small jar to have it tested and identified. (if you chose to do this put an alcohol soaked cotton swab in with the tick for preservation purposes)

• After this then you should wash the bite area with soap and water and apply an antiseptic ointment.

A note on Rocky Mountain Fever:

          Symptoms usually begin within 2-12 days after the bite.

• Headache
• Muscle and back pains
• Chills
• Fever
• A “measles like” rash that begins at the wrists and ankles and then spreads to the rest of the body.

This illness can be fatal if not treated properly

A note on Lyme Disease:

          First of all, you are only able to contract Lyme disease from a deer tick, and that is only if they bite you. It is commonly believed that a deer tick needs to be attached to you (biting) for about 24 hours for the disease to be transmitted.  If you have been bitten and are unsure about the length of time they were attached you may want to save the tick and send it off for testing.

• Symptoms can appear within a three days or a couple months of the bite.

• One of the first signs of Lyme disease is a rash in the shape of a bulls-eye, although it is important to note that the rash may not appear at the site of the bite, and may only last for a few hours, so photographing it may be necessary. It is also important to note that as many as 50% of the people who have contracted Lyme will not see a rash.  If you do see a rash get medical attention as soon as possible.
• Then next stage of L.D. is the flu-like stage.  Those who do not see a rash may go directly to this stage. The person infected will feel achy, tired, stiff, and they may experience a low-grade fever and sleep pattern changes. It’s good to note that in young children, the only sign may be irritability and a change in sleep habits. It is also helpful to know that runny noses are not associated with L.D. and your ailment may just be a virus.
• Both of these phases will go away without treatment but this does NOT mean you are cured. The disease has just become dormant and will resurface again in the future causing greater problems including becoming chronic.

       Lyme Disease can be a debilitating illness if ignored or treated incorrectly. It can be fatal, but that is only in rare cases. There are several treatments for this disease and if you think you may have become exposed to it then it is important to check with your doctor and discuss the options at hand.