"Ticked Off"

After last year's experience with ticks, I don't mess around with the things. And since my post regarding Matt's misadventure remains the most popular entry on this blog, I thought I'd link to the following tip sheet courtesy of Park Quest and a host of official agencies.

In case you're in a hurry, I'll sum up tick removal:

1. If you have a tick attached to you, DON'T use Vaseline or soap or WD-40 or anything else your dad swears by. Trying to "smother" the tick will only cause it to regurgitate any bacteria it's carrying into you (gross).
2. Use a pair of tweezers to grasp the little monster as close to the skin as possible.
3. Pull straight off.

The tip sheet also lists information on Lyme disease as well as tips for keeping ticks off in the first place.

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Resources

All the tick references on my previous post as well as:

IWIF Safety Tip Sheet: Maryland Get Ticked Off About Lyme Disease
http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/parkquest/pdfs/lymediseasefactsheet.pdf