Ticks

If you do not wish to wear any repellant, wear light colored clothing and tuck pants into socks or tape them to the legs tightly. Leave as little skin exposed as possible. If you are in a tick infested area, inspect hourly for ticks, especially between the ankle and the knee. Have someone help you check your entire body at noon and at bedtime after you shower and before you go to bed. Be extremely careful when you inspect the head, back, groin and armpits. Remember: An engorged nymph will only be the size of a poppy seed. If any ticks are found on you or your pet, don't kill them; cover them with Vaseline, melted wax or fingernail polish. May be they will back out on their own or suffocate. If they don't, take a pair of tweezers, gently pull them out with a slow, steady pressure. Don't twist. Once the tick has been removed, drop it into a plastic pill bottle with alcohol to kill it and then wash the bite site with soap and water and then apply iodine or another antiseptic. Save the tick and call your doctor for further advice. Wash all clothing in borax and put all other non-washable materials in a clothes dryer - the dryer's temperature will kill all ticks.

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