Live Healthy Live Well

Longer days and warmer weather have many of us outside, in the garden, on trails and enjoying all that Spring and Summer have to offer. Remember tick exposure may occur year around, yet ticks are most active during warmer months. Outdoor enthusiasts and pet owners be cautious.   Ticks and the disease they carry are on the rise in Ohio. This year is predicted to be a heavy tick season.  The factors that contribute to these growing numbers are tick range expansion and the increase of wildlife living near people. Here are some tips to keep you and your family safe this tick season.

Know before you go outdoors:

• Know where to expect ticks- they live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas or on animals. Walking your dog, camping, gardening or outdoors exposes you to ticks.
• Wear light colored clothing, long sleeve shirts with pants tucked into socks.
• Apply a tick repellent according to the directions.
• Purchase clothing and footwear treated with tick repellent.
• Protect pets with a tick repellent recommended by your veterinarian.
• Keep dogs on a leash and avoid grassy areas.

After you come indoors:

• Check clothing for ticks. Ticks can be carried into the house on clothing. Wash clothes and dry on high heat to destroy ticks.
• Examine your gear and pets.
• Check your body for ticks upon return.  Use a handheld mirror to view all parts of your body.  Check all areas especially under the arms, in and around the ears, inside belly button and the back of knees, in and around the hair, inside of legs and around the waist. 
• Examine your animals for ticks. Especially around the ears, tail, back legs, between toes, eyelids, under the collar and under the front legs.

Create a tick-safe zone in your yard:

• Remove leaf litter.
• Clear tall grass and brush around the house and lawns.
• Place a 3-foot barrier of woods chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas.
• Mow the lawn frequently.
• Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from trees.
• Remove old furniture, mattresses or trash from the yard that give ticks a place to hide.

• Do frequent tick checks of your body while outside and do a thorough inspection at shower time.
• Protect your pets with an anti-tick product recommended by a veterinarian.
• Keep dogs on a leash and avoid allowing them into weedy areas.

If you find a tick attached:

• Do not crush or puncture.
• Grasp tick as close to skin as able using pointy tweezers and pull straight up and out with steady pressure.
• Wash the tick site, hands and tweezers with warm water and soap.
• Place the tick in a container with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.  Record the day the tick was attached to skin.
• If you develop flu-like symptoms, rash, or anything unusual, contact your physician for follow up treatment. Bring the tick specimen with you to your appointment.

Have a safe summer and be tick smart.  Follow these guidelines to protect you and your family.

Written by:  Beth Stefura, OSU Extension Educator, Mahoning County, stefura.2@osu.edu

Reviewed by:  Margaret Jenkins, OSU Extension Educator, Clermont County, jenkins.188@osu.edu

References:

Tickborne Diseases in Ohio | Ohio Department of Health

Ticks in Ohio | Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ohiodnr.gov)

Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases | Ohioline (osu.edu)Ticks | Ticks | CDC