Summer is a great time for picnics, hiking, long walks, and camping. However, it is also the time when tiny critters are waiting for their feast.
Ticks are extremely active in this time of year in particular, so being cautious will help to avoid an unpleasant meeting with these bloodsuckers.
As everyone knows, ticks may transfer such diseases as Lyme disease and spotted fever, that is why protecting yourself and the family members is a must.
We won’t advise going dressed as a pest control worker, of course, nevertheless, certain precaution measures have to be taken every time before going out, especially to the forest, park, or another wooded area.
- Keep in mind that these beasts prefer waiting for their “food” in grassy, wooded, and bushy areas. Be careful when walking in the forest since there may be plenty of them along the paths, too.
- Tick nests are the same dangerous, so, when noticing something similar, don’t touch it.
- Before going outside for gardening, hunting, camping, or even walking, treat your clothes, footwear, and gear (if you have any with you) with any product that contains 0.5% permethrin. It scares the pests off and will remain untouched even if the item is washed.
- Always use repellents and take them with you when going camping, for instance.
- To spot those bloodsuckers, put on light-colored clothes, long-sleeved jackets/shirts, long pants, and high socks/boots. Remember to protect the head with a cap or other headwear.
- Upon getting back home, check yourself, your family members, and, of course, pets for any signs of ticks’ presence.
- As a preventive method, tumble dry the garments you were wearing on the highest heat setting possible to kill the pests.
- Take a shower right after getting home since it’ll help to delete the unattached parasites.
- And of course, check the body carefully paying attention to the zones underarms, in and behind the ears, on the back of the knees, around the waist, and on the head.
Of course, sometimes we can miss the moment and the pests will get inside our house. To avoid this happening, keep the lawn and the garden cleaned and tidy. Remove the dry leaves and sticks, take away the debris, and bring all the fallen leaves and old grass to the compost pile.
Cut the grass short since the bloodsuckers prefer hiding amongst the high plants.
Distributing gravel or wood chips between the yard and wooded areas will prevent the insects from entering.
Since wild animals are also among the tick-carers, protect the yard from those visitors. Don’t leave your pets’ food outside to avoid attracting unwanted guests.
Checking the attic and cutting off the long branches will also contribute to protecting your house from the pests invasion.
