Tick Prevention: Beat the Bite This Summer
Cowleys Pest Services is offering information on how to prevent tick bites this summer during Tick Awareness Week
Ticks might be small, but they pose a big threat to your health. In fact, the CDC estimates approximately 476,000 people may get Lyme disease in the United States every year. To keep the public safe, Cowleys is working with the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) to share helpful information about ticks and tick prevention during the second Tick Awareness Week, an observance recognized by Chase’s Calendar of Events happening May 8-14, 2022.
“We’re excited to be joining the NPMA to help spread awareness about threat of a tick bite,” said Bill Cowley, Co-Owner at Cowleys Pest Services. “A bite from a tick can be serious, as this pest can transmit diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and others to humans. To prevent exposure, it is important to wear insect repellent with at least 20 percent DEET and avoid grassy habitats where ticks are known to live. You can also keep yourself protected by wearing long sleeves and pants.”
If you are bitten by a tick, remain calm and remove it immediately. To do so, Cowleys and the NPMA recommend following these easy steps:
- Gently pull back any hair from around the tick, exposing the skin near the tick/bite.
- Locate the head of the tick, grasp it as close to the skin as possible using fine-tipped tweezers and gently squeeze. Do not grab the tick’s body, as this can increase the chance of injecting the tick’s blood into the skin.
- Pull outward in a straight motion until the pressure pulls out the head of the tick. Do not twist or wiggle the tick, as that may tear the head off, leaving it lodged in the skin.
- Once removed, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water. You can also use rubbing alcohol or an iodine scrub.
- Ticks should then be flushed down a toilet or wrapped tightly in tissue before disposing in a closed receptacle. Do not try and crush them.
After removing a tick, monitor symptoms and call a doctor immediately if you develop a rash or a fever.
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