Tick Season – Be Prepared

Small, brown to reddish brown, eight legs, and a hard body… TICKS. Usually unless the weather remains very cold the tick season begins in March. Tick larva have six legs until they molt into nymphs (immature) ticks and then they have eight. As with most blood feeders the tick requires a blood meal to molt and advance to the next stage in it’s life cycle. If you spend time in the woods or even in your yard there are some things you should be aware of. Ticks hang on tall grass and low branches that are found around the perimeter of your yard or the edges of trails through the woods. They wait here for a host, an animal or a human, to brush against the grass or branch and then they attach themselves to that host. Ticks are disease vectors, they are responsible for spreading Lyme Disease, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, to name a couple, so it it smart to be aware of their presence.

Wearing light colored clothing makes it easier to see ticks if they get on you, insect repellents are helpful, and always check yourself and children after being in an area similar to those described here. Ticks can attach anywhere so be thorough when you check. Pets also should be protected, your pet can bring ticks into the house and although some ticks do not survive indoors it is possible for the pets to carry ticks to where people could be exposed to them.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

© All Rights Reserved.