Who loves picnics, hiking and outdoor summer fun as much as we do? Ticks!

Ticks are quickly rising to fame for their cunning ability to climb and latch onto us without being detected. They are responsible for transmitting diseases like Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but more commonly for completely grossing us moms out. If you’ve ever had the “pleasure” of removing a living, engorged tick (think wiggly legs, body the size of a blueberry, filled with your child’s blood) from your child’s body, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Ticks are pesky insects that transmit disease.  There are many different species of ticks, all of which spread different diseases.  Because of our location in the northeast, this post will focus on the Blacklegged tick – or deer tick (Ixodes Scapularis) – the tick that transmits Lyme disease. 

The Blacklegged (or deer) tick:

• ranges in size from a poppy seed to a sesame seed (depending on its stage of life)
• is found all along the eastern coast
• prefers tall grasses, brush and wooded areas

Prevention:

Avoid places where ticks are found! Stay inside trails, avoid brush, tall grasses and leaf litter. Use insect repellent with DEET (10% DEET is safe for kids over 2 months of age.) While camping or hiking apply permethrin (a stronger repellent) to boots, clothing and gear, not directly onto skin.

Upon coming indoors:  

• Check for ticks on clothing and gear
• Check pets
• Shower
• Check yourself and your child’s body. Pay special attention to the groin, armpits, scalp, belly button, around the waist, and in/around ears.  Don’t just check exposed areas! They climb on anywhere, but they tend to crawl up to these hidden places to attach themselves.

If you find a tick loose in clothing, flush it down the toilet to get rid of it.

If you do find an attached tick, remove it right away!  The good news is, in most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours before the disease bacterium can be transmitted.

Tick Removal:

• Using fine tipped tweezers, grip the tick firmly and as close to the skin as possible.
• Pull upward with steady, even pressure.
• Don’t crush a tick with your bare hands!  Get rid of it by flushing it!

The CDC has specific tick removal instructions on their website for reference. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html

If you find an attached tick it’s a good idea to identify the type of tick it is. You can do this by taking a picture before you flush it down the toilet. Then consult the CDC website to see if you can identify it. Here’s the link: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/tickID.html

A dog tick does not transmit disease whereas a deer tick could transmit Lyme. But just because your child gets bitten by a deer tick, doesn’t mean he will get Lyme disease. You should follow up with your child’s pediatrician to discuss what should be done next. Most commonly, just monitoring your child for symptoms of rash and illness is what’s recommended. Sometimes, antibiotics are necessary, but not always. For more specific info about Lyme and its prevention, check out my blog post, “Lyme disease…what you need to know.”

Don’t panic and keep your children indoors all summer!! Just apply insect repellent, be aware of where they are playing, and thoroughly check kids and pets upon coming back indoors. Prevention and early removal is key!