Ticks are still out!

Even though summer is almost at an end, ticks are still lurking! If you find a tick latched onto you, make sure you remove the tick with clean, fine-point tweezers to grasp the head as close to the skin as possible and slowly pull straight out. If the mouthparts break off and remain in the skin, remove them with the tweezers.

Bad signs to look for after a tick bite include: fever, rash, facial paralysis, an irregular heartbeat, and arthritis. Seek medical attention if you observe any of these symptoms and have recently had a tick bite, live in an area known for Lyme disease, or have recently traveled to an area where Lyme disease occurs.

Ticks need to feed on blood to develop from one life stage to the next life stage. Adult female ticks also need to feed on blood in order to lay eggs. Ticks feed on hosts, which can be mammals, birds and reptiles. Infected ticks can transmit bacteria, viruses and parasites that can cause tick-borne diseases, such as: Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Powassan virus disease and Lyme disease.

Some ways to prevent ticks from latching on to you include: wearing light coloured long-sleeved shirts and pants, tucking your shirt into your pants, and your pants into your socks, wearing closed-toe shoes, using tick repellent spray and walk on cleared

paths or walkways avoiding tall grass.

You will also benefit by hiring a professional pest control service like GB Pest Control to spray your property to significantly reduce the amount of ticks. GB services all the east beaches communities including Traverse Bay, Grand Beach, Victoria Beach, Hillside, Belair, Grand Marais, Albert Beach, Lester Beach, and Pine Falls.