Every May, two very unwanted pests arrive here in the North Quabbin Region. At some point, ticks become very active and venturing outdoors to turkey hunt or do any outdoor walking puts you in contact with ticks.
Every walk with my dogs requires me to inspect my outer clothing, as inevitably there will be a tiny passenger clinging to the outer layer looking to find its way to some skin. The walking and prolonged sitting of turkey hunting is a “perfect storm” for picking up ticks. The black-legged, or deer tick, species are the carrier of Lyme disease, which is a major health concern for all of us.
The percentage of infected ticks varies by location, ranging from none to 50 percent. These and other tick species are found throughout Massachusetts and may spread different disease-causing germs when they bite you.
The most common tick-borne diseases in Massachusetts are Lyme disease, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis. Other diseases that are rare, but still occur, are tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, borrelia miyamotoi, and powassan virus.
Tick-borne illnesses can be very severe and you need to take steps to minimize the risk of being bitten. One of the most important things you can do is check yourself for ticks daily. Favorite places ticks like attach to your body include areas between the toes, back of the knees, groin, armpits, and neck, along the hairline and behind the ears. Remember to check your children and pets, too. Remove any attached ticks as soon as possible.
Do that check immediately after coming inside. Check inside and behind the ears, along the hairline, the back of your neck, armpits, groin, legs, behind your knees (found them embedded there before!) and between your toes. Ticks are really tiny, so look for new “freckles.”
If you do find a tick attached to your skin, don’t panic. Use a pair of fine-point tweezers to grip the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out with steady pressure. You should not apply kerosene, petroleum jelly, nail polish, or a hot match tip to remove the tick. These measures are not effective and may result in injury.
Circle the calendar date and note where on the body the tick was removed. You may want to save the tick for identification. Your physician may choose to treat you following a deer tick bite. Notify your health care provider if you have been bitten by a deer tick or if you develop a rash or other signs of illness following a tick bite.
Talk to your doctor if you develop a rash where you were bitten or experience symptoms of a tick-borne infectious disease such as fever, headache, fatigue, or sore and aching muscles. Also do this if you have stomach or intestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or signs of an allergic reaction like face or tongue swelling, or an itchy rash (hives) within several hours after eating meat or dairy products.
When going outside to an area likely to have ticks, stick to main pathways and the center of trails when hiking, as ticks are often on plants and jump aboard when you brush against vegetation. Wear a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt with long pants and tuck your pants into your socks. This may be difficult to do when the weather is hot, but it will help keep ticks away from your skin and make it easier to spot a tick on your clothing.
There are many bug repellents available. Use them. Repellents that contain DEET can be used on your exposed skin, but not broken skin. Permethrin is a product that can be used on your clothes. Always follow the product instructions and use repellents with no more than 30-35 percent DEET on adults and 10-15 percent DEET on children. Never use insect repellents on infants.
Talk to your veterinarian about the best ways to protect your pets and livestock from ticks. This writer has used both Seresto collars and Bravecto in recent years and both have worked well. The Seresto collar works for a prolonged period of up to eight months, while a dose of ingested Bravecto is recommended to last eight weeks.
Do your research and determine what method or product fits you and your dog. It is a matter of balancing the risks of the product with the risk of tick bites. My dogs have over the years been infected, despite my prevention efforts, and Lyme disease is temporarily debilitating. Once treated with Doxycycline, the recovery is usually quick and complete.
Please take the threat of tick-borne diseases seriously. The long-term impact on people and pets can be serious if not treated and sometimes diagnosis can be inaccurate. It is common among these diseases that they can act like something else and be tough to accurately diagnose.
Don’t let concerns keep you out of the outdoors, but be diligent and check each other! The serious threat of these diseases and the part that whitetail deer play in their life stages has been a significant factor in the present move to liberalize deer hunting regulations, as deer overpopulation contributes to the disease threat.
Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.