As parents, you like taking your kids to outdoor trips so they can create wonderful childhood memories while exploring the world with you. However, as much as you want to be the cool parent, you are also very protective of your kids, especially with the danger of ticks lurking around.
Ticks suck human blood but not all are harmful. Those that carry pathogens cause human disease. As per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some tickborne diseases include Lyme disease, Powassan disease, tick-borne relapsing fever and many more others. The most common is the Lyme disease that annually affects 300,000 Americans which can be treated with antibiotics but the patient can suffer from joint stiffness, brain inflammation and nerve pain (via Science Mag).
According to US News, the surge of residential developments and outdoor activities made ticks closer to humans nowadays. US News heeded the help of an expert, Stephen Wikel, Professor Emeritus of Medical Sciences at Quinnipiac University's Frank H. Netter M.D. School of Medicine, and here are seven tips he shared to drive ticks away.
1. Protect Your Ankles From Ticks.
When you're out in your yard and need to do a bit of lawn mowing or gardening, wear long pants under high socks. Wrap duct tape at the point where the pants and socks meet. This will catch the ticks that will attempt to crawl and invade your legs.
Just don't let your kids out when you're fixing your yard so you won't have to worry attending to them. Plus, you'd be able to focus on the task at hand.
2. Dress Properly For The Battlefield.
There are already clothes, tents and other outdoor gear with repellent-treated fabric. Stock up on these from sporting goods stores. It will surely protect the whole family from mosquitoes, mites, ticks and other parasites.
3. Wear Repellent That Kills Ticks.
Aside maybe from using sunblock, apply topical insect repellent that has less than 40 percent DEET. For your kids, repellent should be 30 percent DEET or less.
4. Conduct Tick Checks.
Before setting up your picnic mat or tent outdoors, check first if the area has ticks. Simply remove these parasites once you see them. Use thin forceps or tweezers with a magnifying glass.
5. Protect Your Pets From Ticks.
Of course, you have to give your pets some tender loving care and since they interact with your kids most of the time, you have to be sure that your pet is also tick-free. Visit the veterinarian and have your pet injected with an anti-tick treatment. Have them wear flea collars to drives ticks away. When your pet just came outside the house, check if it has ticks crawling under its fur.
6. Create A Tick-Free Zone.
Make sure your yard is always neat and trimmed because ticks like crawling on tall grasses. Take out chunks of wood and stones where tick-carriers such as mice, chipmunks and squirrels like to hide. Your kids can enjoy running around your yard without your fear of ticks crawling onto them.
7. Hike Carefully.
Don't be too curious when hiking that you will already put you and your family's safety at risk. Lead your kids to stay at the center of a hiking trail, not only because they might fall to death on the edges, but also to avoid vegetation that has ticks.
Before you frolic in the woods and enjoy under the sun, make sure your whole family is safe from ticks with these seven tips above. Also, always remember that if a tick bites you or anyone in the family and you get rashes, fever, aches and pains after a few weeks, see a doctor right away.
