It’s tick season again on Cape Cod! This spring I have pulled a bunch of ticks from the kids and myself as we have been using the Adventure Map to find new places to spend time outside. I have started treating certain clothes with Permethrin which does a great job…. if you are wearing them. So with the latest tick bite I started doing some research and came across the most in-depth resource I have found so far www.tickencounter.org/ it is sponsored by the University of Rhode Island and has great resources. They have a tick I.D. chart, prevention tips, a form to report tick bites and for $15 you can send a tick in to be tested. Below is an excerpt from www.tickencounter.org with the top 5 actions to be tick safe.
Know-Learn what stage tick it is (larva, nymph, adult, partially fed, fully fed). Determine whether a certain tick has the potential to transmit disease and it’s seasonal activity patterns. Be prepared for your next trip into tick habitat with our Current Tick Activity application. Tick Identification Chart | Current Tick Activity
Perform-Protect yourself and your family with proven strategies to prevent tick bites. Clothing-only repellents and daily checks are among the most effective to prevent yourself from getting a tick-borne disease. Protect Yourself | Tick Removal | Tick Bite Locator
Turn-Wearing tick repellent clothing is the best– and easiest –way for people to prevent tick bites when they venture outdoors. Did you know you can turn your own favorite clothes into tick repellent clothes? Your comfortable gardening pants, lucky golf shorts, hiking socks, everything for the kids to take to summer camp….all professionally treated with an invisible, odorless, EPA registered, tick repellent (permethrin) that remains effective through 70 washes! Tick Repellent Clothing | Should I Wear Tick Repellent Clothing? | Insect Shield Your Own Clothes
Treat-The single most effective way to reduce blacklegged (deer) ticks in your yard is by insecticide applications that are applied mainly to the yard perimeter, shady perennial beds or along trails and paths in woods. Perimeter spray treatments are eco-friendly by limiting the amount of pesticide being applied, and targeting the areas where people most frequently come into contact with deer ticks. Certified tick control interview | Protect Your Yard | Perimeter Sprays
Protect-Pets are important to your family, and protecting them from tick-bites and tick-borne disease should be part of your tick bite prevention program. Not only do you want to keep your pets healthy, but dogs and cats that roam in tick areas can be a risk to your family by bringing ticks to you when you least expect it. TickSpotter Network | Protect Your Pets | Tick Control on Pets | Immunization
Hopefully, this will help us all enjoy the outdoors this summer with minimal interruptions from ticks. You can use the Adventure Map to find hikes near you on Cape Cod but check for ticks when you are done.
Please share this with anyone who spends time outside.
Secluded Cape Cod 