How To Properly Check Yourself for Ticks

Where Should I Check for Ticks on an Adult or Child?

Ticks can be as small as a poppy seed, so after spending time outside, it is important to check your body and clothing for ticks. Ticks love warm, darker places so be sure to check the following areas:

• Behind the knees
• Behind your elbows
• Armpits
• Behind your ears
• Scalp
• Back of your neck

How Do I Know if I Have Lyme Disease After A Tick Bite?

Lyme Disease is a tick-borne illness that is contracted when an infected blacklegged tick (deer tick) bites its host. There are many different species of ticks, and not all carry the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease, but if you have been bitten by a tick, it is important to know the symptoms, so you can receive the proper treatment. The longer an infected tick is attached to its host, the higher the probability of contracting Lyme Disease. If you have been bitten by a tick and begin to experience the symptoms below, consult with your doctor about treatment. The earlier the diagnosis, the more effective the treatment will be.

Common symptoms of Lyme Disease are as follows:

• Red rash, forming a bull’s-eye pattern where you were bitten by the tick
• Flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, headache, and body aches

How do I Properly Remove a Tick?

1. Use a pair of fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal kit
2. Pull upward with a steady, even pressure avoiding twisting or jerking motions that can cause parts of the tick to break off and stay in the skin. If any parts do break off, remove them individually with the tweezers or tick removal kit
3. Clean the area thoroughly with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or iodine
4. Dispose of the tick by submersing it in alcohol, flushing it down the toilet, placing it in a sealed container or bag, or tightly wrapping it in tape

How Can I Prevent Ticks in my Yard?

In order to prevent ticks, modifying your lawn and using a pesticide can dramatically reduce the tick population, greatly reducing the likelihood that you or your family will be exposed to Lyme disease.

Yards should be kept clear of brush and tall grasses, play equipment and other recreational items should be kept away from vegetation, and pets should be kept on pest control to prevent tick infestations.

Viking Pest control can also apply an acaricide to control the tick population in your yard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even a single springtime application of acaricide can reduce the population of the species of ticks that cause Lyme disease by 68%-100%.

About Viking Yard Guard

Enjoy your Summer nights without the bites this year with Viking’s YARD GUARD™ Tick Control Program. Ticks can be a real distraction and deterrent from enjoying your own back yard during spring, summer and fall. Why not act and fight back against the pests that can ruin your evening outside? With YARD GUARD™, you will protect your outdoor space and control the breeding populations of Ticks.