BEWARE… the Ticks!

Warm weather, sunny days, school vacation – the summer season is upon us.  As we spend more time outdoors, interactions with ticks between us and our four-legged friends are more common place.  Protect yourself against unwanted tick bites and tick borne diseases by brushing up on your tick facts.

Ticks are active year round on Cape Cod, but spring and summer provides more opportunities for exposures as outdoor activities increase. Entering tick habitat without proper protection is the biggest risk factor for tick bites.Use Permetherin-treated clothing or repellents containing 20%-30% DEET. Wear long sleeved shirts tucked into long pants tucked into closed-toe shoes or socks. DO check for ticks on skin and clothes EVERYDAY using a hand held mirror for hard to see places. Put clothes in dryer on HIGH for 15 minutes to kill ticks.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Tick Testing on Cape Cod: Barnstable County Offers Discounted Tick Testing - Barnstable County  at www.TickReport.com

Free Identification of Ticks: TickSpotters

Cape Cod Cooperative Extension:  Don't Let One Bite Can Change Your Life

Board of Health Lone Star Tick presentation: Lone Star Tick Alpha Gal Syndrome Presentation 2024