1. TICKS CRAWL UP & COME IN 3 SIZES

Ticks don’t jump, fly, or drop from trees. If you find one on your head or back, it likely crawled up your entire body from your foot or leg EEK! Ticks are “programmed” to attach around the head, neck or ears where the skin is thinner, so if you have a dog who sniffs the ground, it’s a breeze for this parasitic arachnid to hitch a ride.

Ticks hatch from eggs and develop through three active (and blood-feeding) stages: larvae (small-the size of sand grains); nymphs (medium-the size of poppy seeds); adults (large-the size of apple seeds). If larger, you’ve likely found one that is partially or full of blood.

2. TICKS CAN BE ACTIVE IN THE WINTER

Yep! Adult stage deer ticks become active every year after the first frost. They’re not killed by freezing temperatures, and while other ticks enter a feeding diapause – a period of suspended development – as days get shorter, deer ticks will be active any winter day that the ground is not snow-covered or frozen.

3. TICKS CARRY DISEASE-CAUSING MICROBES

Tick-transmitted infections are more common these days due to increases in deer populations: Lyme disease bacteria, Babesia protozoa, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and other rickettsia, even encephalitis-causing viruses, and possibly Bartonella bacteria.  Some humans, once bitten by the lone star tick, actually develop a meat allergy and can no longer safely consume beef products! The only way to get Lyme disease however, is by being bitten by a deer tick, also known as black-legged ticks in the U.S., sheep ticks in Europe, or Taiga ticks in Asia. Dog ticks, Lone star ticks and other types of ticks don’t seem to be able to transmit Lyme disease. While that’s good news, it makes saving any tick that you find feeding more important so you can identify it, potentially saving uneccessary testing for your or your pet.

4. REMOVE A FEEDING TICK ASAP!

Never miss a weekly head-to-tail check of your pets, but anytime they’ve been in brush, check them right away!   Many of the disease-causing microbes transmitted by ticks need a “re-activation” period in the tick once it begins to feed. The germs eventually make their way into the tick’s salivary glands and the tick spits them into you while feeding. Some infections, especially viruses, move into the tick salivary glands faster than others. Lyme disease bacteria may take 24 hours to invade the tick’s saliva, but there are no guarantees.

Do you know HOW to remove a tick safely?  Sign up for a Pet First Aid class today, or refresh your skills if it’s been a few years.  Your pets will thank you!  Think of a tick as a little germ-filled balloon. Squeeze it too hard on its back end, and all the germs get pushed to the front end, which is attached to your pet by the tick’s straw-like mouthparts. Using really pointy tweezers, it’s possible to grab even the poppy-seed sized nymphs right down next to the skin. The next step is to simply pull the tick out like a splinter. Don’t worry if the mouthparts stay in the skin as long as you’ve got the rest of the tick.  Surprisingly, ticks don’t have true heads but rather their bodies extend to their mouths. Other tick removal methods, like a hot match, Vaseline, dish soap and cotton, or various little key-like devices don’t work as consistently as pointy tweezers on all types of ticks. Remember to save the tick and try to identify it.

5. CLOTHING (aka doggie bandanas) WITH BUILT-IN TICK REPELLENT CAN PREVENTING TICK BITES

An easy way to avoid tick bites and disease is to wear clothing (shoes, socks, shorts or pants or shirts) with permethrin tick repellent built-in. Try spraying you dog’ bandana since dogs generally hike nose-to-the-ground allowing ticks to latch on.  The bandanas will make the journey undesirable and the tick will fall off.

In conclusion, there’s really only one way you or your pet can get a tick-transmitted disease…from a tick bite!  So eliminating ticks from your yard, wearing tick repellent clothing, treating pets with ONLY what their veterinarian feels is best (and following directions to a tee), along with performing a quick body scan (aka head-to-tail check) and properly removing ticks right away are your best moves.

Source:  www.TickEncounter.org