I’m not going to lie. I am terrified that I or my family will get bitten by a tick and contract Lyme disease. It is honestly one of my greatest worries.
We live on the west coast of British Columbia and spend a lot of time outdoors. We go hiking on a regular basis and go camping all summer long.
I think it’s very important to know as much as you can about ticks and how to prevent or react if you are bitten by a tick.
6 Things Everyone Must Know About Ticks:
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Ticks have 8 legs and are tear shaped. There are 40 species of ticks in Canada.
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Not all ticks carry Lyme disease.
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Ticks are found in forests, in leaf piles, in tall grass and even in parks.
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Most people do not usually feel a tick bite. Not all bites result in a bull’s eye rash.
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The best way to remove a tick is to use tweezers and to grasp them as near to the head as possible.
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Ticks especially like warm spots on your body like armpits, behind your knees and at the base of your neck. Check these areas after being outdoors.
The best way to prevent tick bites is to use bug spray with DEET. It’s also a good idea to wear long sleeve shirts and long pants with closed toe shoes when hiking.
If you think you or someone you know has been bitten by a tick, save the tick (if possible) and visit your doctor as soon as possible.
Stay safe this summer! Be sure to share this information with your friends and family!
Let me know, do you do your best to protect yourself from tick bites? What precautions do you take?
Very useful information. I am afraid of them too and try to keep my skin covered as much as possible when hiking.
Important information many people must hear since these kinds of bites can occur
at any moment.
Horrible beasts, thankfully I’ve only ever had one that I only found when I showered and felt a little lump!
I’m scared of them too. They say having yard chickens for a few years can cut the population down by a whole lot. I think it’s worth the effort.
I check my dog every time we get back from a walk because I’m afraid of ticks
We actually go camping a lot and I make an effort to check my kids pretty often for bugs!
My friend’s dog was bitten by a tick last year and it has made me so paranoid about them ever since!
I never heard of ticks when I was growing up. I hear they cause arthritic like symptoms if left untreated and cause other havoc.
These are great pointers to remember. The very thoughts about them give me the weeby geebies. They must have developed into a bigger problem over the years because I grew up on a big farm and we used to run through fields of long grass and we never knew about the dangers of ticks, but we do take precautions now. Thanks for the great feature and tips.
Interesting tricks for sure.
Ok this gives me shivers. I love picking wild blueberries but these little monsters keep me at bay.
I think it’s really important to cover up skin when out in tick areas. There’s a lot more where I live on the prairies now so having to get used to preventing the bites.
I’ve got a couple of EO sprays on the go here, ticks are fierce where we are!
We always use bug spray with DEET. Never had an issue with ticks… so far.