Visitor's Guide to a Tick-Free Summer!
Author: Paula Jackson Jones
Published: 07/09/2017
The 4th
of July holiday brings back many of our seasonal residents and many more
visitors to our wonderful state and Midcoast Lyme Disease Support and Education
wants to make sure that you enjoy your stay and partake of all the outdoor
activities that Maine offers.
This
weekly column is to remind you of the simple solutions that you can do to enjoy
your summer and remain tick-free!
Skin,
Clothing, Pets, Home and Yard are all important areas to focus on as these are
areas ticks come into contact with us. What you chose to put on your skin is a personal preference whether its Deet,
Picaridin, Essential Oils or other natural repellent balms and salves, there is
no wrong answer. But there are some
products safer than others (for children and pets) so carefully consider before
purchasing.
Wearing
white clothing and tucking shirt into pants, pants into socks does not repel
ticks, it only makes them easier to find. You want to repel and you have
options! Permethrin, a product derived from the chrysanthamum plant that kills
ticks on contact, is FDA approved in over 1400 products and used by the
military on their uniforms and gear. You can purchase this at the local
hardware stores and do it yourself or, for those with health or environmental
concerns, you can purchase clothing already infused with a heavy concentration
such as tops, pants, vests, socks, hats, gloves and blankets. You can also send
your clothing off and have them infused with a heavier concentrated application
(email me for more information).
Visitors,
did you know that you can connect with a local vet and have your pet protected
while you’re here on vacation? Local vets can connect with your vet back home
and get an instant health history and be able to prescribe the best product
based on the age, breed and overall health condition of your pet.
Cleaning
cabins and cottages with products containing Lemongrass and Eucalyptus creates
a safe and natural deterrent for ticks. There are also safe and natural
products to use on the outside such as Diatomaceous Earth to repel ticks. For higher infested areas, consider
contacting a service provider who uses organic repellent sprays. Remember, we
want our visitors to enjoy their stay tick-free!!
And as
always, when you come in from spending time outdoors ~ DO YOUR TICK CHECKS!
WHAT
IS A TICK CHECK? It’s a process of looking over your body
top to bottom for nymph and adult ticks that you may have unknowingly brought
inside with you. Ticks crawl from the
ground up looking for the perfect place to feed upon and they thrive on moist,
dark areas. The best way to do a tick check is to remove your clothing, toss in
the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes and then check the following areas: Under
the arms, in/around the ears, inside the belly button, back of the knees, in
your hair, between the legs/groin area and around your waistline. Nymph ticks
are no larger than a poppy seed and are often missed. Use a mirror for hard to
see places. You can also shower using products
containing rosemary, eucalyptus and tea tree oil that repels and washes out any
ticks you may have missed while checking your hair (Remember: tea tree oil is
not safe for pets).
As always, if you do have a tick encounter, save the tickand have it tested so that you will know for certain if/what you have been
exposed to. By using prevention
practices and doing daily tick checks, you are taking charge and reducing your
chances of being exposed to a tick ~ and can enjoy outdoor life in Maine as it
should it be!
~ Paula
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