~ Submitted by the Bedford Health Department
According to TickEncounter of the University of Rhode Island, May is the ‘tickiest’ month and here’s what they suggest you look forward to, and look out for: BIG American dog ticks and ticks so tiny (nymph blacklegged ticks) they’re just hard to spot. There are also ticks so fast (nymph and adult lone stars) that they can disappear under untucked clothing almost in an eye blink.
Black-legged (deer) ticks and dog ticks are found throughout Massachusetts and may spread different disease-causing germs when they bite you. The most common tick-borne diseases in Massachusetts are Lyme Disease, Babesiosis, and Anaplasmosis. Other diseases that are rarer, but still occur, are Tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Powassan virus. Tick-borne illnesses can be very severe and taking steps to avoid tick bites is important.
Today is a GREAT day to spray clothing (pants, shoes, and socks) with permethrin. Also, use a repellent containing DEET on your skin before entering tick environments. For more information on ticks and tick repellents, visit the Health Department Tick Page at https://www.bedfordma.gov/board-of-health/pages/tick or the Tickencounter website – https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/? fbclid=IwAR17VGXwCmbP08KLvQf2Q9JzrQl_6YwTY0mWs2YCwIuWpZ95p-Odr5N3M4E.
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