Summer is here in all its glory, heat, and humidity. Unfortunately, wildlife is also more likely to be sharing the Great Outdoors with us. Here in Fearrington Village the deer population is ever present, and the risk of being bitten by ticks which they carry and contracting a tick-borne disease are increased.
I was recently contacted by one of our Weathersfield neighbors who two years ago almost died from Ehrliciosis, a tick-borne disease. After a lengthy hospitalization and six months in recovery, she is eager to warn others of the risk of interaction with ticks. She alerted me to a website detailing a recent Tick Forum held in Pittsboro www.chathampublichealth.com. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also has the following helpful suggestions to share:
Avoid Direct Contact with Ticks
- Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
- Walk in the center of trails.
Repel Ticks on Skin and Clothing
- Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours.
- Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.
- Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.
Find and Remove Ticks from Your Body
- Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.
- Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.
- Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs.
- Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors.
If you find a tick, there is no need to panic. A plain set of fine-tipped tweezers will effectively remove a tick. Specific instructions for tick removal can be found here: CDC Tick Removal.
Tick repellents are generally available at many stores in our area. You can also go to websites such as http://tickwarriors.com/shop/ where people interested in purchasing ecofriendly products to combat ticks can find information.
Stay safe this summer!
Jo Bolig President, Weathersfield Service Group VI, Inc.