This time of year brings out weekend warriors who love working in their gardens and yard on the weekends and in the evenings. It’s also the season for sitting on bleachers watching ball games, or camping in the woods.
If you fall into any of those categories – or are outside on a regular basis, period – make sure you’re checking regularly for ticks. You can feel mosquito bites almost as soon as they happen, but ticks are much less easy to spot.
Deer (or “Black-legged”) tick nymphs (newly hatched) are already very active this year. This is the tick that spreads Lyme Disease. The tiny larvae are hungry and are searching for hosts. Because of their miniscule size, they’re quite difficult to spot. While larval ticks don’t carry any diseases yet because they have just emerged from the egg and haven’t eaten a blood meal, it’s best to stay on the safe side and check yourself thoroughly any time you’ve been outdoors.
It’s very important to be aware of, and practice, preventive techniques for picking up ticks on your skin, hair, or clothing. Here are some things you can do: Continue reading
