VIV Says: Blog

To avoid ticks, stick to open trails and wear items treated with Insect Shield, such as the ExOfficio clothing shown.

A former co-worker once told us a story of a girl who went to the doctor and found a tick buried deep inside her ear. “It was almost to her brain!” he insisted. Given that he also tried to convince us we might be host to an earwig, we’re pretty sure he was exaggerating to tease us. The threat of tick bites, however, is a genuine concern of ours, since nymphal deer ticks can transfer Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system if left untreated. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, so we thought we’d share some tips for preventing tick bites this summer.

While cases have been reported in most states throughout the country, the American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF) notes that Lyme disease is most prevalent in the Northeast and upper Midwest, home to deer and white-footed mice — the ticks’ preferred hosts — as well as Northern California and the Oregon coast. (For more information on ticks in your area, download the ALDF’s iPhone app.) Cases start to increase in May, then spike in June, July and August. Ticks typically can be found in shady, moist ground litter, but they also can live in lawns and gardens.

Homeowners can reduce tick risks by keeping lawns mowed and clearing brush, leaf litter and tall grasses from around the house, says the ALDF. Insecticide sprays and granules that contain bifenthrin insecticide or permethrin also can be applied to yards, usually in late May to kill nymphal ticks. The Tick Encounter Resource Center (TERC) at the University of Rhode Island recommends hiring a professional to spray only around the yard’s perimeter, in shady perennial beds or along wooded trails and paths. According to TERC, “The chemicals used today for tick control are much less toxic than in the past, and are used in very low concentrations. Additionally, bifenthrin and permethrin do not leach through soil.”

If you garden, hike, camp, fish or hunt in an area that may be prone to ticks, there are several ways to protect yourself, such as wearing clothing treated with Insect Shield or spraying clothes with insect repellents containing DEET or permethrin, a synthetic version of a natural insect repellent found in some chrysanthemum plants. While DEET may be used sparingly on exposed skin, heavy use has been linked to memory loss, headaches and muscle and joint pain, so be sure to read instructions thoroughly and use the minimum concentration for as little time as possible. Those allergic to DEET can try Repel Lemon Eucalyptus, Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus IR3535 Expedition, BioUD, Natrapel and BugBand, though effectiveness has not been established for these products in all cases. Some studies have shown that Picaridin, a newer repellent found in Cutter products that is odorless and nontoxic, is as effective as DEET.

Lyme disease transmission occurs after 24–48 hours of the tick’s attachment to your skin, so it’s a good idea after being outdoors to do a full body check, especially in areas where ticks like to hide: the back of the knee, groin, navel, armpit, ear or nape of the neck. If you do find a tick, you don’t have to see a doctor to have it removed, according to Thomas Mather, Ph.D., professor of public health entomology at the University of Rhode Island and director of TERC. TERC’s interactive website, TickEncounter.org, has a helpful animated video showing proper removal.

If you do think you may be at risk for Lyme disease, keep an eye out for symptoms and consult a physician. For more information about the identification and treatment of Lyme disease, take the quiz “Lyme’s Dangerous Mimicry” in the May/June issue of VIVmag.

Though we always might be a little gullible when it comes to tall tales, we feel somewhat protected against ticks this summer. How do you recommend staying safe from tick bites?