Time to be wary of ticks
El Dorado County health officials are reminding residents to take precautions to protect themselves and their pets from ticks and tick bites.
“If a tick attaches to the skin, it should be grabbed closest to the skin with tweezers or a tissue, and pulled straight out using a firm and steady motion. Wash your hands and the bite site with soap and warm water after the tick is removed, and apply antiseptic to the bite site. See a doctor if you develop a rash, flu-like symptoms or a fever. Tell your doctor if you have been bitten by a tick,” Alicia Paris-Pombo, El Dorado County health officer, said in a statement.
Ticks live in wooded areas, brushy fields, long grasses and leaf-litter areas, and are most active during the warmer months.
Tips to avoid tick bites include the following:
- Avoid walking through wooded or brushy areas with tall grass; walk in the center of trails whenever possible
- Wear long pants and long socks, and apply insect repellent containing DEET when walking through areas where ticks may be present
- Examine gear and pets after walking
- Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off and more easily find ticks that may have crawled on you or your clothing
- Conduct a full-body tick check upon return from known tick infested areas, and check for up to three days after possible exposure (some ticks may be very small and are hard to see)
- Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks
- Talk to your veterinarian about using tick preventives on your pets.
“I’d like to check you for ticks. . .” ~Brad Paisley~
May I suggest, a good method to removing ticks, put a little olive oil on the tick, ticks breath through its body, the oil blocks its ability to breath and it will back out on its own. Less of a chance of leaving the head in the skin.
I have also heard that Vaseline or Vicks Vapo-rub over the tick will do the same thing. DO NOT attempt to use tweezers. You will only break off the head and the problem will still exist.
My old friend Rick Wright went on a fishing/camping trip with another old buddy of mine, Steve. Rick came back to Tahoe with a large tick burrowed right into the center of his chest. He even gave it a name! He called it “The Companion”. We tried everything, gasoline, lighter fluid, vasoline, but nothing worked to get rid of “The Companion”. He finally went to Barton where it was succssefully removed!
Just a little tick history for you. Ticks or, uh, thanks for reading, OLS
ticks rarely live in tahoe, go down to 3000 feet and thats a whole different story
Yuck… when traveling I let my dogs walk near Folsom last week. Got home and noticed a tick on her…then another and then another. Forget the gasoline, vicks or any other lotion or potion (who wants to wait for in not to work anyway), just as the article says, grab and pull. Works every time and immediately. And DO go to the doctor if you see a rash of fever. We have a friend whose son got lime disease long before doctors were aware to look for it. He has permanent neurological damage.