CHECK FOR TICKS
- Check for ticks when coming in from outdoor activities.
- Always leave your shoes outside, and check them for ticks, remembering that larval and nymph ticks can be as small as a poppy seed and a challenge to see.
- Ticks often attach to clothing, so take your clothes off and put them in a dryer at high heat for a minimum of 15-20 minutes. The high temperature will kill the ticks, and prepare the clothes for washing.
Article on how to kill a tick on your clothes. by Dr Daniel Cameron - Coming in from outdoors always do a full body check on yourself, your children and pets.
- Remember your pets can carry ticks indoors too.
- If a tick drops off in your house, it can survive for weeks while waiting for a blood meal.
- When doing tick checks remember your crevasses as ticks like to hide and feed in warm dark places.
- Ticks particularly like:
- The hairline
- Inside and behind the ears
- The back of the neck
- Inside the belly button
- The groin
- Behind the knees
- Between your toes
- The armpits
- Around the waistline
- Under and around waistbands
- Always shower after being outdoors, but remember once attached, ticks do not wash off in the shower.
- Water will not kill ticks.
Note: Typically if left undisturbed while having a blood meal, tick larvae remain attached for about three days, nymphs for 3-4 days, and adult females for up to 7-10 days.
If you have a tick bite followed by a fever, rash including a bull's eye or suffer from anaphylaxis, seek medical attention immediately.