In certain parts of the United States, tick protection is absolutely necessary for keeping you and your family and pets safe. Sadly, small black-legged nymph ticks often carry Lyme Disease, which can be a debilitating autoimmune disease that you could carry for the rest of your life.
What Ticks Look Like
The first thing that you should know about tick protection is what a tick looks like. You may have had ticks on or around you and now even known it, or you may have never seen one before. You should know the basic description of a tick so that you can be prepared either way.
Ticks that may carry Lyme Disease are tiny. Some are as small as a poppy seed. But ticks grow, and when they attach to a human or animal, they can grow to outstanding sizes because they are filling their small abdomens with blood from their host.
Ticks have eight legs that are splayed out around their bodies. Those that you should be wary of are black, and their bodies are shaped like tear drops.
How to Protect You and Your Family From Ticks
There are several things to do in order to prevent ticks from harming you and your family. First, keep your yard grass cut and trimmed, and eliminate leaves in large quantities. When pets go into the woods or on trails, always check their fur for ticks, and check your own body as well.
Second, make sure to know where ticks hide. They may be in fences, brick walls or retaining walls. Next, make sure to choose plants that ticks don’t like.
Finally, if you notice many ticks in or around your home or pets, get tick control help. Never try to manage a situation like this alone because before you know it, someone may have become infected with a serious illness because of ticks. Protect yourself and your family and pets by thinking ahead and getting tick control help from professionals.
What to Do if You Find a Tick on a Human or Pet
Ticks can be potentially harmful to you, your loved ones and animals, so if you see one, don’t ignore it. In the same vein, never grab at a tick with your hands, squash it, twist it, squeeze it or brush it away. If it has embedded into the skin, this may cause the pincers to be left under the skin or for more of the venom to be pushed into your skin.
Instead, use a pair of tweezers to extract the tick as close to your skin as possible. Put the tick into a plastic bag, date the bag and put it in your freezer. If you show any signs of Lyme Disease, you can use this tick to test for the disease with your doctor.
