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Dealing with Ticks 

Identification:

Some Common North American Tick Species
Local	North American
American Dog Tick (A type of Wood Tick)	Deer Tick (Black-Legged Tick)	Lonestar Tick
This is the most widespread tick in our area. Note the contrast between the whitish patterned dorsal shield and the dark reddish-brown body.	Note tear-drop shape and relatively small size. Dorsal shield is blackish while the body behind it is reddish-brown, which fades to grey on engorged specimens.	This tick is known to occur in large numbers on islands in the Narragansett Bay. Note the metallic looking "star" on the rear of the dorsal shield and the overall chestnut-brown color.

• Like mosquitoes, ticks need a blood supply to reach maturity and reproduce.
• Ticks attach themselves to vegetation and wait for a warm-blooded animal to pass by. Ticks sense the presence of an animal in much the same ways as mosquitoes: detecting warmth, carbon dioxide, ...
• When the vegetation is disturbed, the tick releases itself and latches on to the passing animal or human. The tick usually remains fairly stationary as long as the animal or human is moving.
• Later, when the host comes to rest, the tick will begin to move toward a suitable area to attach itself. This includes any area which is warm, moist, and preferably inconspicuous. Favourite locations (and, therefore the ones you should check the most) include the groin, armpits, and hairline. Once it has located a suitable “home” the tick uses its mouthpiece to burrow into the skin and attach itself. It then begins feeding on blood.
• In the process of feeding, the tick's abdomen can enlarge to many times its original size.
• Once feeding is complete, the tick drops off its host to continue its life cycle.

Risks

• Discomfort: To prevent your blood from coagulating, ticks release an anti-coagulating agent into the bite area, much as mosquitoes and other blood-sucking insects do. They also excrete a bonding agent which helps to attach themselves to your skin. These substances usually cause some level of discomfort (itching, redness, soreness). As well, the open wound resulting from the tick bite is susceptible to minor infections that may increase this discomfort.
• Lyme Disease: This disease is conveyed by the Deer Tick and the Lone Star Tick, which do not live in our area. Nevertheless, travelers should know about the disease. It is most prevalent in the northeastern United States and the Pacific Northwestern United States (Washington, Oregon, ...) It is a serious chronic illness, which affects many organs and systems of the body.
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: This is an acute disease that strikes between 3 and 14 days after infection. The disease can be fatal, but prompt medical treatment severely reduces the risk of fatality. The disease is most often spread by the Wood Tick, the American Dog Tick and the Lone Star Tick.

Avoidance and Prevention

• Check your clothing often for ticks climbing toward open skin. Wear white or light-colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants so the tiny ticks are easier to see. Tuck long pants into your socks and boots. Wear a head covering or hat for added protection.
• Repellents: For those who may not tolerate wearing all of these clothes in hot, muggy weather, apply insect repellent containing DEET (to exposed skin (except the face). Be sure to wash treated skin after coming indoors. If you do cover up, use repellents containing permethrin to treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes) while in locations where ticks may be common. Follow label directions; do not misuse or overuse repellents. Always supervise children in the use of repellents.
• Walk in the center of trails so weeds do not brush against you.
• Check Yourself and Your Companions: Check yourself, children and other family members every two to three hours for ticks. A buddy system works well for this, since another person will be able to check areas (such as the hairline) that you yourself cannot see. Most ticks seldom attach quickly and rarely transmit tick-borne disease until they have been attached for four or more hours.
• Monitor Your Pets: If you let your pets outdoors, check them often for ticks. Infected ticks also can transmit some tick-borne diseases to them. (Check with your veterinarian about preventive measures against tick-borne diseases.) You are at risk from ticks that "hitch a ride" on your pets but fall off in your home before they feed.
• At Home: Make sure the property around your home is unattractive to ticks. Keep your grass mowed and keep weeds cut.

Removing Ticks Once Attached

• Act Quickly: Remove any tick promptly. However, if you cannot remove the tick properly, it may be better to wait to do so. (For example, if you do not immediately have access to a pair of tweezers).
• Don'ts: Do not try to burn the tick with a match or cover it with petroleum jelly, nail polish, or other solvents. Do not use bare hands. These "tried and true" methods often cause the tick to disgorge the contents of its stomach, drastically increasing the risk of infection.
• Use Tweezers: The best way to remove a tick is to grasp it with fine-point tweezers as close to the skin as possible and gently, but firmly, pull it straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick. Lift until the surface of your skin puckers. This is enough force to make it difficult for the tick to remain attached. Hold this position until the tick lets go. This may take several seconds, so you may need a bit of patience.
• Do not crush an engorged tick with your bare fingers, as the fluids that are squeezed out of the tick could cause infection.
• If tweezers are not available, grasp the tick with a piece of cloth or whatever can be used as a barrier between your fingers and the tick. 
• Keep the Tick:
  • If it is alive: Put it in a damp cloth or tissue, then in a sealed bottle or ziploc bag.
  • If it is dead: You may want to put the tick in a small container of rubbing alcohol to preserve it so that it does not dry up.
  • In either case: Label the container with the date and location of the bite in case you seek medical attention and your physician wishes to have the tick identified.
• The mouthparts of a tick are shaped like tiny barbs and may remain embedded and lead to infection at the bite site if not removed properly.
• Be sure to wash the bite area and your hands thoroughly with soap and water, and apply an antiseptic to the bite site.

After a Bite

• Remain on the lookout for symptoms including sores, rashes, fevers, headaches, and muscle soreness. 
• If these occur, visit a doctor immediately and be sure to inform him of the tick bite. 
• If an infection has occurred, symptoms may begin appearing within three days to two weeks afterward. Most tick-borne diseases are bacterial in nature and can easily be treated with antibiotics if discovered early enough.