More Ticks in county this year
By The Emporia Gazette (Contact)
Originally published 01:42 p.m., July 15, 2008
Updated 01:42 p.m., July 15, 2008
If you’re thinking you’re seeing a rise in those pesky ticks this year — you’re right.
The Lyon County Health Department reported this week that it has received increased reports of ticks and tick bites this year. In a campaign the Lyon County Health Department is calling “Lyon County Citizens Tick’d Off,” the following information was released.
Several diseases can be contracted from tick bites, a press release stated. These diseases include babesiosis, ehrilichiosis, lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and southern tick-associated rash illness, tick-born relapsing fever and tularemia. Others include anaplasmosis, Colorado tick fever and Powassan encephalitis. If a tick is spotted on the body, the person should watch for signs of illness such as rash or fever. Medical attention should be sought if these develop.
Ticks are not always easy to spot as they often are small.
“Some species and some life stages of ticks are so small that they can be difficult to see,” the release stated. “But all hungrily look for animals and people to bite.”
Ticks can be found in wooded areas and near wooded areas and other environments.
How to protect yourself from tick bites:
• Use a repellent with DEET.
• Wear light-colored clothing.
• Tuck pants legs into socks.
• Avoid tick-infested areas such as vegetation.
• Perform daily tick checks -- check your body for ticks, even if you’ve been in your own yard. Pay special attention to underarms, inside the navel, back of knees, in and around hair and around the waist.
• Check clothing for ticks.
How to reduce ticks in yards:
• Provide a vegetation-free play area.
• use a chemical control agent.
• Use bait boxes to treat rodents (this reduces ticks by more than 50 percent).
• Prevent deer from bringing ticks into yard by removing plants that attract deer and constructing physical barriers.
Weltha (anonymous) says...
What about all fleas? How can a person better control them?
July 16, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )