Social media is a blessing and a curse. I use social media to spread Central Mass tick awareness each week, and some of my time is spent debunking viral myths. Sometimes, the information that has been passed, seems like outright fearmongering.
You have probably seen this post, or similar posts circulating on Facebook over the last two years, claiming that ticks can burrow under your skin and move around undetected. I expect that this fallacy will begin making its rounds again soon, if it hasn’t already. Do ticks burrow? Yes. Do they completely move underneath the layers of your skin, crawl around, and spread illness? NO!
Where does tick misinformation come from?
Though the origins of the story are unknown to me, I can only assume that it came from reports surrounding the “seed tick” (slang for a tick in the larval stage of life) a couple of years ago. The CDC posted this photo on their social media, warning of the dangers of nymph ticks, the most likely to spread disease.
The small size of the nymph is alarming, as one tick is about the size of a poppy seed, making them difficult to detect or identify. Nymph ticks are in the second stage of their lives, having taken their first blood meal from animals, such as white-footed mice, often carriers of Lyme Disease, in their larvae stage. Nymph ticks are dangerous – VERY dangerous, often diseased, and ready to make your family or family pet their next blood meal, at which time they can transmit diseases.
Watch this tick burrow into human skin, aided by a “mouth full of hooks!”
Leominster tick protection is essential to your family’s health!
With the dangers of an increased tick population in Central Mass, tick control is not an option, but a necessity. I urge you to be proactive in the fight against the spread of tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, and even tick paralysis in dogs. Illnesses contracted from ticks are dangerous in a few ways. Some have terrifying symptoms, such as temporary blindness. Lyme Disease can be misdiagnosed for other diseases, like dementia, and produce lifelong ailments. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is difficult to diagnose, and if not treated properly and early, it can be deadly.
If you do find a tick on yourself or a family member, follow the CDC’s recommended tick removal instructions.
Keep your family and guests safe from ticks and the harmful diseases they carry by calling a professional tick control company!
Also read: Are ticks getting smaller?
Where would repair people, mechanics and homeowners be without this 11th Wonder of the Fix-it World? Well, there’s yet another use for it when it comes to ticks. Before ticks become attached to your skin or your dog’s skin, tear off a piece of duct tape and “stick it to them”. Blotting up any ticks on the skin removes the tick and prevents them from becoming lost before you can throw them out. Use a big enough piece of tape to fold it over the tick after removing it and seal them inside. When you’re done, throw the tape in the trash. How easy is that?
It’s OK; this one isn’t as bad as it sounds. Since you have some privacy and your pants and lower garments are off it’s easy to spot any ticks on your skin. Ticks like to hang out for a free meal in grassy and brushy areas. They climb to a height anywhere from our ankles to knees. They dry out quickly in the heat and sun so they try to find shade ASAP. When they find you, that shade is under your clothes and not outside the fabric. Once they get near your skin, they begin looking for places where the skin is thin and where the biggest blood supply can be found. That is usually in the creases and folds of our skin, such as your waist and groin area.
Hard ticks and soft ticks all need moisture, especially hard ticks like deer ticks. Other soft ticks take a bit longer to dry out. So tip #3 is to put the clothes you wore outside in the dryer as soon as you come indoors. Do this before washing them. Ten minutes on high heat will dry out hard ticks and 15+ minutes will dry out the softer ones. Washing won’t destroy ticks, no matter how hot the water. Remember, they need moisture and are active in warm months so warmth and water are their two best friends. Very dry and hot are their worst nightmare. Once your clothes are finished in the dryer, wash them knowing you won’t be releasing any ticks into your closets or clothes hamper.