Be aware of ticks this fall

Introduced by migratory birds in early spring, blacklegged ticks mature into adults and remain active throughout fall, particularly in tall grasses, brush and wooded areas.

Precautionary measures against ticks include:

• Wearing trousers, long-sleeved shirts and shoes that don’t expose feet.
• When walking through long grasses, pull the socks over trouser legs to prevent ticks from crawling up.
• Wear light-coloured clothes, so ticks can be easily seen.
• Use insect repellents containing DEET or Icaridin. Apply repellent to clothes and exposed skin. Always read and follow the directions.
• Shower or bathe as soon as possible after being outside to wash off loose ticks and inspect the body for attached ticks.
• Do full body tick checks after being outside on children and pets.
• If a tick is found attached to skin or on a pet, carefully remove it with fine-tipped tweezers and grasp the tick’s mouth as close to the skin as possible then pull slowly upward and out with firm and steady pressure.
• Be careful not to squeeze, crush or puncture the body after removal, as this may also contain infectious fluids.
• Don’t apply Vaseline, gasoline, or other noxious substances on an attached tick, which may cause it to regurgitate.