Ticks, not a fan if I’m honest. They’re right up there with my least favourite animal, the creature that kills more people than sharks, polar bears and zombies. I am of course talking about the mosquito. I don’t like mozzies because they made a priest in central America waste his time giving me my last rights. Ticks? Don’t like them because I had big hairy dogs. Anyone with dogs, cats, or anyone who spends time outdoors should know about Ticks.
What are Ticks?
Ticks are small arachnids, yep, spiders. They’re weirdos too, the older ones have eight legs just like Incy Wincy, but the young’uns, aka nymphs, only have 6 sometimes. They’re blood sucking vampires that like to feed on birds, squirrels, deer, sheep and humans, yes, us! So you can find the little so and so’s in places like woodland, moorland, parks and even your own garden. The good news is, they can’t fly or jump, but sit in ambush waiting for it’s next meal to brush past, when they crawl around looking for a good place to chow down. At least you can see sharks and bears, but these assassins are tiny and it’s hard to see them, but the well fed adults (in this country at least) can be up to 10mm.
Tick season is usually between March and October, but being the U.K. our weather may have other plans and wet days and warmer temperatures make ticks active for longer. My advise is to be tick aware all year round, especially as some of the symptoms they can leave you with may take a few months to develop.
Symptoms?
Yeah, symptoms. Because ticks carry pathogens (nasty stuff) that can make us ill. Sometimes very ill. Bites aren’t usually painful and can go un-noticed, but they may cause a red lump to develop where you were bitten, bit like a zit. They can cause swelling, itchiness, blistering and even bruising. If you see a spot like bump, don’t worry. Some ticks carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease. This does not mean you’ll definitely be infected, but, be aware of the risk. If you develop a pinky/red rash around the bite, a temperature of 38°C or more, along with flu-like symptoms, like a headache or joint pain or a swollen lymph node, contact your GP as a matter of urgency.
How to remove ticks
If you notice a tick, you should try to remove it as soon as possible. This helps to reduce the risk of getting an infection, like Lyme disease. This is a bacterial infection that causes a pink or red circular rash to develop around the area of the bite.
Use the tick removal device that you purchased from Beyond First Aid (shameless plug) or fine-pointed tweezers to gently grip the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull up steadily but slowly without crushing the tick. Wash around the bits area and apply an antiseptic cream. If the tick’s mouthparts break off in the skin and can’t be removed, this may cause irritation. They should however fall out naturally in time. Don’t go poking around with needles or tweezers as this may itself cause an infection.