In my neck of the woods, ticks are a way of life. Summertime is all but here in the Midwest, and we are already on tick patrol after every outing.
I don't remember ticks being such a nuisance as a kid. Sure, we had one every so often, and the dogs always had a few. But they weren't as common, and tickborne diseases were a rarity.
However, tickborne diseases have tripled since the 1990s. Diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever that 20 years ago were considered rare, are now almost commonplace in some areas of the United States.
New diseases such as Heartland disease and Bourbon disease (named for Bourbon County, Kansas, where it was discovered) are emerging as well. The symptoms and possible long-term effects of these diseases is downright terrifying.
Photo by Getty Images/Anest.
Those of us who farm, care for livestock, hunt, garden, or take part in any other outdoor activities daily are especially at risk for getting tick bites. Preventing this from happening is our best defense against getting sick. The obvious and first advice given for prevention is to avoid areas where ticks are found.
However, for most of us this is not possible. Our daily routine brings us in close contact with tall grass, brush, trees, and livestock — all places that ticks frequent. So, what do we do?
One of the best methods we have found in our personal use on our farm is Permethrin spray on our clothing. Products with at least 0.5 percent Permethrin are quite effective in keeping ticks away. We choose two or three outfits, hang them out on the clothesline, and spray them down with the Permethrin spray until they are damp.
The clothes are allowed to dry before we wear them. Boots, shoes, and gloves are also treated. This will last up to 6 washes before the clothing must be re-treated. So far, this is the best method we have found in keeping those nasty beasties at bay.
This spray may be used on dogs and other livestock as well. It's a good idea to check with your veterinarian first to be sure of safety for your animal.
Photo property of Jacqueline Wilt.
After you return from working outside, you should bathe or shower as soon as possible. This will help remove any ticks that may be crawling on you, before they have a chance to bite. Put clothing in the dryer and tumble dry on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill any ticks that may be on your clothing.
Use a hand held or full-length mirror (or your significant other) to do a full body check for ticks. Be sure to check children over carefully as well.
If you find a tick attached, don't panic. They are easy to remove. I admit, I usually just pick them off and kill them with my fingernails. This isn't the best way, though.
They should be removed using a pair of tweezers or other tick removal device. The tick should be grasped as close to the skin as possible, and then pulled off.
Avoid squeezing the tick's body. It is not recommended to apply things such as petroleum jelly or finger nail polish to get the tick to let go, as this can increase the chances of disease transmission.
Ticks should be removed as soon as possible after they bite to reduce the chance of disease transmission. It is common for tick bites to itch, similar to a mosquito bite.
However, if there is significant swelling, any rash, or any other symptoms after a tick bite, you should see your doctor. Be sure to let your doctor know you have had a tick bite so they know what symptoms to look for and the proper course of treatment. Most tick-borne disease are treatable if diagnosed early.
There is a world of information about ticks, their prevention, the diseases they cause, and how to manage them. Every geographic area has different species of ticks that bite humans, and different diseases transmitted by those species. The CDC website is a great resource for more information.
At GRIT, we have a tradition of respecting the land that sustains rural America. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing to GRIT through our automatic renewal savings plan. By paying now with a credit card, you save an additional $6 and get 6 issues of GRIT for only $16.95 (USA only).
Permethrin is a great deterrent and killer for ticks and other bugs. Spraying your clothing is good but it washes off after 6 or 7 washings. We have discovered the company Insect Shield. They will treat your clothing with Permethrin using their proprietary method that allows the Permethrin to bond better to the clothing. You can wash Insect Shield treat clothing up to 70 times before the Permethrin wears off. Its a great solution for tick infested areas like the whole state of PA where I live. You can also purchase clothing already treated by Insect Shield from BugBeWear.
Permethrin is a poison. Its an insecticide. It absorbs thru your skin. Anyone think about the connection to the exponential increase in use of insecticides on our persons and pets being the reason we (as a population) are more susceptable to all these, now, devastating diseases? You douse yourself with poison, it weakens your (or your kid's, critter's) immune system. Back when no one had heard of Lyme disease, et al, we didn't apply insecticide to ourselves and livestock like it was sun screen. There are organic, effective, safer alternatives.
If you remove a tick, it's not a bad idea to put it into a medicine/prescription bottle or something like that, especially if it's been on you for a while. In the event you think you picked up a disease, you can provide the tick to your doctor for testing and confirmation.
i'm an old dude; i started 1st grade at the end of the 1950s. i, too, remember getting ticks on my body, and getting tick bites (and this was in the southwest, yet), and i never got any illness from them. we had all heard of rocky mountain spotted fever, but had never seen it, nor had any of our friends and acquaintances had it (and if they knew anybody else who had it, i never heard about it). i suspect that the ecosystem was in flux then, and is now as well, and that things have changed in subsequent decades. not that change is necessarily a *bad* thing, as life *is* change, but things are changing. i guess it's up to us to make sure the changes are beneficial to as many life forms as possible.
i'm an old dude; i started 1st grade at the end of the 1950s. i, too, remember getting ticks on my body, and getting tick bites (and this was in the southwest, yet), and i never got any illness from them. we had all heard of rocky mountain spotted fever, but had never seen it, nor had any of our friends and acquaintances had it (and if they knew anybody else who had it, i never heard about it). i suspect that the ecosystem was in flux then, and is now as well, and that things have changed in subsequent decades. not that change is necessarily a *bad* thing, as life *is* change, but things are changing. i guess it's up to us to make sure the changes are beneficial to as many life forms as possible.