Few pests evoke as many questions from people as ticks. Besides their repulsive appearance, ticks are vectors of potentially debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Lyme disease, in particular, has attracted national attention and is now the number one arthropod-borne disease in the United States.

Ticks prefer to live in woods, tall grass, weeds and brush. They
climb onto low vegetation and attach to suitable hosts which pass by,
including pets and people. Ticks are seldom a problem in well-maintained
lawns although edges of property supporting tall weeds and brush can be
a source of infestation. The best way to avoid acquiring ticks is
through prevention:

What’s the best way to remove an attached tick?

Using
a fine-point tweezers, grasp the tick just behind the point of
attachment and pull slowly and steadily until the tick is dislodged.
Vaseline, matches and other alternate methods of removal should be
avoided. Wash the bite area, apply antiseptic and cover with a band-aid.

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme
disease is a potentially serious bacterial infection, transmitted
through the bite of certain species of ticks. The disease affects humans
and a wide range of animals including pets and livestock. Lyme disease
manifests itself in many ways and if left untreated may progress through
several stages. The disease is difficult to diagnose clinically because
early symptoms often mimic the flu (i.e., fatigue, headache, stiffness
or pain in neck, muscles or joints, fever, or swollen glands). The most
definitive early symptom is a gradually expanding circular or
oval-shaped red rash. This rash only develops in about 70% of infected
individuals, however, and may be overlooked.

Persons who
experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms after being bitten by a
tick (or having spent time in tick-infested areas), should consult a
physician immediately. Lyme disease can be treated successfully in these
early stages with antibiotics. As the disease progresses, it becomes
more difficult to manage. Later symptoms of infection may include heart
and neurological disorders, and arthritis.

Definitive tick
identification, however, requires the expertise of an entomologist.
Immature stages of lone star is Ixodes ticks are both extremely small
(about the size of a sesame seed), and are easily mistaken for one
another.It should be noted that ticks capable of transmitting Lyme
disease must be attached for at least 24 hours for infection to occur. A
person cannot become infected simply by having a tick crawl over their
skin or clothing.

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