19 May Don’t Feed the Ticks!!
Don’t Feed the Ticks!!
A Fearrington Cares Health Services Program
With warm weather in sight, it’s time to be aware of some not-so-friendly co-residents of Fearrington Village. Ticks are horrible little things with no obvious redeeming features and they live to feed off us. They can also transmit diseases to us. Be vigilant!
- Check yourself (or your honey!) for ticks after being outdoors.
- Wear light colored clothing and tuck pants into socks.
- Use DEET-based insect repellants on your skin or Permethrin-based products on your clothing.
What should you do if you do encounter an attached tick? Remove the critter by grasping it with tweezers close to the skin and pull straight out. If you remove a tick within 12-16 hours of attachment, chances are you won’t suffer any harmful effects. Ticks need to “set up shop” in order to transmit bacteria that cause disease. What if you don’t know how long the tick was attached? After removing it, watch for a bulls-eye rash or flu-like symptoms that occur 2-14 days after the bite. Those symptoms can mean the start of a tick-borne illness, which can be treated with antibiotics in the early stages of the disease.
Come by the Fearrington Cares Center to pick up a free Tick Removal Kit, provided by the Chatham County Public Health Department.