Ticks: Protect Yourself
What do ticks look like?
Adult black-legged deer ticks — the ones to avoid — are tiny, about the size of a sesame seed. In their youth (as nymphs) they look like poppy seeds. When they feed, they fill up with blood and get fat and round.
Adult black-legged deer tick
Where are they found?
Ticks live where it is wet and shady. They like fields and forests, wherever there are grasses, bushy foliage and leaf litter.
How to avoid getting bitten
Do not leave skin exposed. Wear long pants and sleeves. Tuck your pant legs into your socks to protect your ankles and legs.
Apply insect repellents with DEET or icaridin or wear clothing treated with Permethrin
Protect your pets with tick collars, sprays or oral medications.
Shower within 2 hours of coming indoors and do a full body tick check.
What about repellents?
Yes, repellents can protect you. DEET (≥20%) and icaridin (≥20%) are effective against ticks. Apply to exposed skin and outer clothing.
Check yourself for bites.
After outdoor activity, inspect your body thoroughly—especially under arms, behind knees, around the waist, in the groin, and on the scalp. You may need someone else’s help to check your back. Make sure to check children and pets for ticks too.
Identifying tick bites
It doesn’t hurt when a tick attaches so they often go unnoticed. The first sign of Lyme might be a red rash that develops within 3-30 days of being bitten. The growing rash may or may not look like a bullseye. But not all cases result in a rash. A bite can leave no visible sign at all.
If you find a tick
Use tweezers or another tick removal tool to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
Remove the tick with tweezers by pulling it straight out without twisting.
Do not twist, instead pull the tick straight out with steady firm force.
Clean the site with soap and water and apply antiseptic.
Save the tick in a container for possible identification.
Time is of the essence when dealing with ticks. It is important to get them off of your skin within 24 hours. Once bitten, consult a physician or pharmacist immediately. Within 72 hours of being bitten a single dose of doxycycline may prevent Lyme disease.
A variety of tools specifically designed for tick removal are available on Amazon or through other sources. Make sure you have a tweezer or tick removal tool on hand.
What to do if your pet gets bitten
Remove the tick using tweezers. Clean the site and save the tick for identification purposes. Consult your vet.
Do all ticks carry lyme disease?
Only black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) transmit Lyme disease, and not all black-legged ticks are infected. Risk increases in known high-risk areas. Other varieties of ticks may carry other pathogens.
More information
Lyme Disease (Government of Canada
Lyme and other Tick Transmitted Diseases (Quebec Government site)
