Ticks

The problem with enjoying the wildlife that roams through my backyard is the bugs they leave behind, mostly notably the TICK! Ticks are fairly routine here, so I thought I'd share how we deal with tick bites.

First of all, I highly HIGHLY recommend getting those tick crow bars. They are a fast, easy and painless way to get all of the tick out. NEVER leave the tick's head in your skin. You can get diseases even if just the mouth pieces are left behind.

1. Prepare a ziplock baggie by putting some rubbing alcohol in it.

2. Drop a bit of rubbing alcohol near the tick's mouth.

3. Follow the crow bar directions, removing the tick.

4. Put the tick in the ziplock baggie and keep on hand until you're sure the patient isn't developing any symptoms of Lyme or other infection.

5. Wash and disinfect the bite area and apply an herbal salve or neosporin.

6. Keep an eye on the bite area, looking for a "target," redness, swelling, or blackness.

7. Should patient develop any of those symptoms, take them and the tick to the doctor ASAP.

Personally, I don't worry about every tick I pull out of my family. So long as it is uninflammed or only partially inflammed, it has been on for less than 24 hours and unlikely to cause Lyme. However, I do keep an eye on the bite area. Regardless of whether or not the tick is inflammed, if you do choose to go to the doctor, they will most likely put you on antibiotics. If I did this for every tick bite my family got, we'd ruin our bodies with all those antibiotics and they wouldn't work when a real infection hit! So, it is up to you.

To prevent ticks:

1. Have your pets treated.

2. Use Tea Tree Oil around wrists, ankles, necklines, hairlines and waistbands before venturing out in a tick area.

3. Vacuum daily, floors and furniture.

4. Make tick checks a daily routine before showering.

5. Keep the dog's bedding area washed.

6. Invest in fowl. A couple of chickens in the back yard can effectively keep ticks at bay. Ticks are chicken M&M's!

7. Don't invite the deer in. As beautiful as they are to have them roaming through your yard, they're a main culprit for leaving the nasty bugs behind.

8. Tuck your pant legs into your socks.

I just removed a tick from my arm this morning, but may your season be a tick-free one.