Spring Safety Tips for Avoiding, Repelling, & Removing Ticks

With winter wrapping up in New England, people are once again heading outdoors to enjoy the warmer weather. Unfortunately, so are ticks.

Due to the fact that temperatures did not drop below freezing for any meaningful stretches of time this past winter, this year’s tick population may be a bit higher than normal. Along with usual larva that hatch during the winter, we will likely be battling adults that took shelter in leaf matter and survived the normal killing season.

Regardless of the number of ticks there are to contend with, prevention is always the best approach. Solid tick-safety strategy begins with measures focused on preventing contact with ticks; this includes dressing smart and working to repel ticks. Here’s what to do:

DRESS FOR PREVENTION

Choose light-colored clothing that makes it easy to spot ticks.

Wear long sleeves and long pants.

Tuck your pants into your socks or boots.

Spray clothing with a tick-repellent such as permethrin.

Wear a hat if venturing into the woods.

On exposed skin, wear an EPA-registered insect repellant that also works against ticks. Some choices include DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol (PMD), and 2-undecanone.

Spray clothing, shoes and boots with a tick-repellent such as permethrin. Permethrin will last on clothes for a few wash cycles. But, follow instructions carefully and do NOT apply directly to skin. Note: Permethrin is highly toxic to cats before it dries.

It’s best to check yourself frequently for ticks when you’re outdoors for extended periods of time, and it’s essential to do tick checks when heading back inside. Here’s how:

PERFORM TICK CHECKS

Do a visual check of your clothing and the clothing of others with you when you step back inside. Young ticks can be as small as a poppy seed so be careful and deliberate in your exam.

Change your clothes immediately and put worn clothes in the dryer on high for 10 minutes.

Perform a check without clothes, ideally in front of a mirror. Ticks prefer to attach to warm, moist areas of the body. Areas that need to be checked carefully include:

• Back of the knees
• Along the inside of the legs
• Around the waist
• Under the arms and in arm pits
• Behind the ears
• In and around head hair

If you find a live tick that has not latched on to skin, dispose of it by placing it in alcohol in a Ziploc bag or other container you’re willing to throw out. Do not crush or flush ticks. If there’s an abundance of ticks on your clothes, use packing tape to remove them and then seal them to the tape with another piece of tape to suffocate them.

If a tick is attached to your skin, follow these steps to safely remove it.

TICK REMOVAL

Use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the mouthparts close to the skin and slowly and steadily pull the tick straight out. Avoid twisting or jerking the tick as it may leave mouthparts in your skin, which can lead to infection.

Once the tick is removed, thoroughly wash your hands, and clean the bite area with soap and water, antiseptic, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Note: If you find a tick immediately after coming indoors, there is no need to panic. However, if the tick is engorged or was attached to your body for more than 36 hours, you should contact your doctor for possible prophylactic Doxycycline.

Any time you find a tick attached to you, watch for symptoms of tick-borne illness over the next several weeks. If you develop flu-like symptoms or a rash in the bite area, contact your doctor.

James Poole, MD, is a Hospitalist and Director of Inpatient Services SVHC