This past weekend, a local Boy Scout Troop camped at Black Walnut Bottom on Pine Creek and fished Little Pine Lake on the first day of trout season. Upon returning home, one of the Scouts found what he thought to be a tick on his thigh. Upon further investigation by the Scoutmaster (who is a Doctor), he confirmed that it was indeed a tick. The tick was removed and a check of his gear and clothing did not reveal any other ticks.
The Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited wants to provide you some information on ticks so that you can protect yourself and friends / family. If there is ever any doubt, please contact your Doctor right away.
* Tick bites are usually painless and people are unaware they have been bitten and are only found by accident or by doing tick checks
* Ticks can be active at temperatures of 40 degrees F and higher. Tick checks should be done year round and precautions taken to prevent them.
* After returning home from a day fishing or outdoors where ticks may be found, do a tick check and change your clothes. Throw your clothing in a dryer on high heat as this will kill the any ticks Take a shower and wash your hair. This is a good time to do a tick check.
What should you do if you find a tick?
Blacklegged tick is the correct common name
for the tick popularly known as the “deer” tick.
Size relative to a dime is shown above.
If you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible. This is done by using tweezers and grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible. Once you have grasp it, pull it straight out. Be sure to get a bath / shower afterwards and watch for signs of illness.
Symptoms of lyme disease or illness associated with the tick bite may take days or weeks to occur, if they do. Watch for a rash to develop around the bite area, flu like symptoms and any fevers that you may get. If these occur, notify your Doctor immediately. It is a good idea to notify your doctor that you were bitten by a tick to see if there is anything else you need to do.
Tips to reduce chances of tick bites
Use a repellant that contains DEET. These can be used for exposed skin. When choosing a repellant, make sure that you read the label to make sure that it is good for ticks. Many repellants on the market are only for mosquitos, etc and will not work against ticks.
Find a repellant that contains permethrin (Duranon Tick Repellent, Repell Permanone, Cutter Outdoorsman Gear Guard, Permethrin Tick Repellant are a few examples). These repellants can be sprayed on clothing and is not intended for the skin but make sure that you read the label and follow the manufactures instructions.
|
|
Susquehanna Chapter of Trout Unlimited 