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.