timber tick

With summer in full swing, there are more opportunities for people to come across a particular creepy crawlie insect.

Guthrie County Health Services Director Jotham Arber says that ticks can be a major problem over the late spring through early fall months, especially during the summer. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that ticks like dark places on human bodies, and shares where to look for common areas that ticks are found on our bodies.

“If you are out with your younger family or friends, especially our toddlers and our younger kids, it’s really important that we give them a check over of making sure that we’re looking behind the ears and underneath the armpits, in some of those crevices that we wouldn’t normally check underneath the knees, just making sure that there’s nothing there.”

Arber mentions that one of the major issues that comes with ticks, is the possibility for Lyme Disease, a bacterial infection that can be passed on to humans that can result in a rash and flu-like symptoms. He adds that if the infection advances without treatment, it can possibly affect the joints, nervous system and heart. Arber explains that ticks can usually be found in wooded areas, or places where the grass is taller. He shares that another place that they can be found is around dog feces, as it attracts them for an opportunity to attach to our furry friends.

Arber says that common preventative methods include wearing long sleeves and pants in tick-prone areas and using insect repellent that contains DEET. He adds that around the home, cleaning up after pets is always a good idea, that way ticks are not attracted to the area.