Tick Tips

From my In-Box was this email from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Ticks seem to be everywhere this spring! Most commonly found in the woods and areas with tall grass or brush, many Wisconsin communities are part of "tick country."  

Tick bites can be unpleasant and sometimes cause serious illnesses such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and spotted fever group rickettsiosis. 

Don't let ticks ruin your fun. You can still enjoy plenty of time outdoors this summer by taking a few preventative steps.

• Wear long sleeves, pants and tall socks to prevent ticks from getting on you. Tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks for extra protection. 

• Use insect repellent on exposed skin and clothes. Repellents should contain either DEET (20-30%), Picaridin (10-20%), IR3535 (15–20%) or oil of lemon eucalyptus (30-40%). Permethrin can be used to treat clothes, shoes and other gear. 

• Stay on marked trails and designated recreation areas. Veering off the trail and traveling through tall grass or brush can increase your chances of tick exposure. 

• Do regular tick checks. Perform full-body tick checks after being outdoors in areas where ticks may be present. Remember to look over clothing and pets, too.

• When removing a tick, don't squeeze, crush or puncture its body, which may contain infectious fluids.

• Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and clean the bite site with rubbing alcohol after removing a tick. 

Help fight the bite in Wisconsin.

Just the other day I got out of bed and much to my horror found this on my shirt.

At first blush I thought it was a tick.

Turns-out it was black fuzz.

Whew!