Everyone loves the Spring weather, it brings sunshine and warmth, but it also brings a lot of unpleasant bugs. Unfortunately, it is tick season again, and some of them can be very dangerous. People in Tuscarawas County are already finding ticks on their bodies. Read on to learn more about ticks and prevention methods to keep everyone safe when outdoors, and how to remove a tick if there is one a body part.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September). Know which ticks are most common in your area.

Before You Go Outdoors

• Know where to expect ticks.Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals
• Treat clothing and gearwith products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings.
• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellentsExternalcontaining DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanoate. EPA’s helpful search toolExternal can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instructions.
  • Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old.
  • Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.
• Avoid Contact with Ticks
  • Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter
  • Walk in the center of the trails

 After You Come Indoors

• Check your clothing for ticks
• Examine gear and pets
• Shower soon after being outdoors
• Check your body for ticks after being outdoors
  • Under the arms
  • In and around the ears
  • Inside belly button
  • Back of the knees
  • In and around the hair
  • Between the legs
  • Around the waist

How to remove a tick

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
4. Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.