What’s so bad about these uninvited invaders?  Well, they are searching for food.  But what do they eat?  Blood.  In fact, you are just the kind of meal they are seeking out.  So, while you and your pet are meandering about on the grass or lawn, these tiny terrors are trying to grab onto a leg or paw.

Yes, this may all seem quite unpleasant, but what are the implications?  After all, aren’t ticks relatively harmless?  No.  In fact, certain ticks are carriers of disease and infection.  Year after year, victims become sick due to tick bites (not all ticks carry disease, though).  Then, to add insult to injury, the cause of the illness sometimes goes undetected.

How can we protect ourselves from ticks?  The suggestions below outline a few thoughts.

1. Avoid wooded or grassy areas where ticks tend to hang out, particularly May through July.  Still, ticks can be out as early as April and as late as November, depending upon the weather.
2. When the above is not feasible, wear long pants and sleeves.  This is not always comfortable in higher temperatures, but it beats having your blood drawn by a tick.
3. Spray a tick repellent to deter the pests.  NOTE: Always follow repellent instructions—some types should only be applied to clothing.
4. Wear white or light-colored apparel to better see the bugs.
5. If you have been in a tick-prone area (sometimes it’s the backyard), carefully examine your body when you go indoors.  If you do find a tick, gently grasp the bug as close to your skin as possible and carefully pull out straight: do not twist or yank, as this might push the fluid into your body or detach the head.  If you have any concerns at all, have the tick analyzed.

It’s indisputable that ticks can be a hazard in warmer weather.  While people and animals are reveling in the sun, these miniscule menaces are out for blood.

Next week we will look at a tick-transmitted illness that affects both humans and animals: Lyme disease.  But until then, I think we’re safe!